Revenge of the Bard
Two weeks of the semester are gone. I finished my part in the AustraLearn application process. Now I play the waiting game.
Meanwhile, I finished composing my thesis. It's far from finished, though. From here on out, it's revising and editing until the deadline in March. I get to let my thesis committe play volleyball with it now. Yay. As far as I'm concerned, it's at least written. The creative part is over; the madness begins.
Congratulations are not in order. I'm not like some self-absorbed teenager who runs to his blog to post the latest minor scholastic achievement. "Mommy, look what I made in school today!" No. I just figured I owe it to my readers to mention this milestone.
Meanwhile, what really worries me about this semester is the analysis presentation. It's hard to describe (partly because I don't even know exactly what it is), but I basically need to analyze the crap out of a contemporary work--to the point where I can convince the audience that I wrote it myself. That's the level of intimacy they want with the piece. I'm thinking of doing John Adams' Harmonielehre, but I don't really have a thesis to prove with it yet.
I discovered years ago that you never get nervous during a presentation when you have nothing but contempt for your audience.
So my thesis is "done," as is my internship application. Uncle Sam made the mistake of giving me a $7200 check this week. Now I can fund my trip. All in all, this is a good night.
So... good night.
posted by the warrior bard at 10:01 PM
10 Comments:
You also never get invited back to do a gig if you have nothing but contempt for your audience.
Unless you're Miles Davis and Timmy, you just ain't that cool.
Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:28:00 PM
Congratulations on finishing your first draft, too. It's a big step. I'm sure you've heard this before, but just make sure there's a reason for everything, even if it's a bullshit reason you made up right there on the spot.
Also, could you e-mail a copy of it to me so I can put it up with the rest of my refrigerator artwork? I feel so proud my little boy is all grow'ds up (Swingers, anyone?).
Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:33:00 PM
Yeah, I have to give a defense before my committee because it's not getting performed. Things are a little different here than at Truman. We'll see how my lesson goes this Friday...
My optimism is highly guarded.
Monday, January 23, 2006 9:25:00 AM
I had to defend mine in committee, too, despite having it performed.
Monday, January 23, 2006 9:51:00 AM
My kid beat up your graduate student.
Monday, January 23, 2006 11:46:00 AM
My thesis kicks your thesis' ass!
Monday, January 23, 2006 11:46:00 AM
My graduate student beat up your fourth grader!
Monday, January 23, 2006 12:08:00 PM
That one I like.
The "minor scholastic achievements" line I got from George Carlin, as Captain Obvious pointed out.
Thus, the famous line: "Thank you, Captain Obvious."
Monday, January 23, 2006 12:41:00 PM
By the way, I'm not doubting your analytical skills, but be careful of doing an entire piece like Harmonielehre because it can be a little overwhelming to try to do in a single semester.
Besides, there's a dissertation out there on "Long-Range Tonal Planning in the Music of John Adams". Just so you know. And it probably already covers extensively that aspect of the earlier Adams works, especially Harmonielehre.
Monday, January 23, 2006 1:07:00 PM
I know you defended your thesis, too. I'm saying the committe situation itself is different. When you were done, you were done. For us, we're never done.
A piece is never finished, it is only abandoned.
Theses=feces.
You were able to throw out your thesis and start from scratch, working your ass off to get it done over break. I could have done that. In a different place.
That's the most maddening thing: talking about my thesis on my blog makes it sound like I'm a slow worker.
I'm not slow.
I can write.
Fast.
Hell, I pretty much graphed out the whole piece in one afternoon, 11 months ago. Assuming it was never going to be my thesis, I put it on the back burner to come up with my actual thesis instead. Then, in August, I decided to just make that idea my thesis. That was time lost because the Man had me down.
I know you worked hard and wrote fast.
But so did I. It just doesn't look that way.
This is why I hate this blog. Because it's impossible to portray the truth. It's not about pride, it's about accurate representation.
I won't even have the satisfaction of getting it performed. I want to be able to take a bow for once, instead of living in everyone else's shadow, composing in a vacuum.
I want a recording of it. Strike that--I need a recording of it to add to my portfolio for prospective emloyers. It's absolutely important to my career that I get this piece performed and recorded, but I can't do that.
MAYBE I could get them to program it on the festival next fall. Just my luck, I'll probably be out of the country.
This discussion could lead me to a very dark place. Let me just sum up my points:
1) I compose quickly.
2) I don't like being talked down to. I'm no one's kid brother (except for my big brother).
3) I am extremely humble, but I DO need a performance for professional reasons.
4) I'm deeply resentful of a lot of things from both Truman and BG (that much was already evident).
5) Bumper stickers are annoying.
Monday, January 23, 2006 1:21:00 PM
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