I woke up at around 6:45AM, and as I was scuffling my feet to the counter to pour my coffee I found myself wishing that instead of the rather grey-ish morning, there was at least Monday's equivalent of beautiful sunlight streaming through the window. I continued to scuffle around and get ready for my day, seriously contemplating spending the whole day in my pajamas, but thought better of it, and finally sat down on the couch clutching my coffee in one hand and transposition exercises in the other. The last four quizzes of my 8:30AM Harmony and Form Lab IV class and my Harmony and Form Lab experience in total, these transposition exercises required playing one instrument at concert pitch on the piano, and singing the other transposed to concert pitch (Eb, Bb, F, and A) using transposed note names. Some were easier than others, but it still took me some practice to be able to sing all the note names in rhythm in sixteenth note passages. I was out the door in time to catch a bus to the music building, but had to forgo my usual breakfast in order to make it in time for my 8AM rehearsal for my saxophone jury. Thanks to the bus arriving late, I arrived at the music building at something like 8:02AM and was setting up my saxophone when a friend of mine came through the lobby informing me that I was supposed to be done with this rehearsal (comprised of the entire Handel Sonata XIII and Lantier's Sicilienne) in fifteen minutes, as she was told her rehearsal would be at 8:15, right before class; not the most practical of things, on the accompanist's part. As soon as I arrived in her office, reed in mouth, I quickly dragged the chair and stand over as she sat down at the keyboard waiting to play her first chord. Not even having tuned, we rushed through the Handel without repeats or pause, and that was the end of my rehearsal time.
Lab class went by pretty quickly, and I didn't get the grades I was aiming for, but I still did pretty well, and now all that's left for that class is hoping and praying that I pass- as those classes are only offered every semester and I am supposed to be student teaching in the fall!
The last Music History&Literature class was pretty relaxed. People who chose to do a final project over a final paper presented said projects: which involved original compositions, a work by C.P.E Bach for flute, and chance music. Dr. Schneider ended the class with a beautiful 'speech' that left me speechless, feeling so many feelings and wishing so badly that I could have recorded his words. It also struck me that this would be my last class with Dr. Schneider before graduating, and given that he may just be my favorite professor, I left that class feeling rather saddened.
Following was Harmony and Form IV lecture, in which reviewed for the final exam. The exam is cumulative and is this Friday, yikes! I've been doing well in class throughout the semester, but because the exam is cumulative and worth 20% of our final grade in the class I'm less than excited.
My last choral methods class consisted of passing in my portfolio, my second ungraded teaching episode and iPad presentation (more on the iPad in another post), and another teaching episode and iPad presentation. I felt as though my teaching episode could have gone a lot better in terms of working on the rehearsal piece I had chosen, but when the class was opened for discussion after my episode I ended up receiving some wonderful feedback.
After my professor shared things that she thought I did well, she went on to explain how she feels that for those of us in class who's last methods and practicum experience this is before student teaching (myself included)- are so ready for student teaching, and ended with "as beautifully exemplified by Becky today". Throughout the semester she has been telling me how impressed she is with my choral teaching and work in those classes, but having her say that today was such a comforting thing, and it made everything so much more real: having one semester before I've completed all the class requirements for my Bachelor's in Music Education degree, and one more semester before student teaching (again, more on student teaching in another post).
It's crazy- almost surreal maybe- to hear my professor say that I'm ready for student teaching; I remember deciding to go to music school, my audition to get into music school, my first day of classes, my first practicum experience, all of that like it was yesterday, which is why (among other reasons) that this post bears the title it does.
On the last day of classes, the music department holds a music department barbecue, a nice get-together of faculty, staff, students, and of course free food (pretty good veggie burgers!).
Conducting followed, in which we watched videos of different conductors and talked about what it takes to conduct professionally. It's hard to believe I am done with my first conducting class- and I am eagerly but not-too-eagerly awaiting the DVD of the compilation of all my conducting videos from the semester- I'm interested to watch them and reflect (geeky, I know).
Now, all that stands between me and summer vacation are:
- a saxophone jury
- a saxophone lesson
- a voice lesson
- my choral methods final teaching episode
- a cumulative harmony and form IV final exam
- a voice studio recital (in lieu of a jury)
- a cumulative jazz theory and improvisation final exam
- a music history written and listening exam
- two conducting take home final exams
- a partial piano proficiency exam
Happy reading,
Becky
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