Pages

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Stressed? Nope. Not Me.

I'm only taking a full course load for the first time in four years during my first semester at a California State University while trying to work part time. 

And if you think I chose music because it was an easy artsy-fartsy degree, let me tell you something.  Fuck you. 

Music is hard. 

I have five class hours of music theory each week.  I am not good at it.  I think I would have an easier time learning neurosurgery than music theory.  I think theory belongs in the same category as things like trigonometry and calculus. 

I have a music history class that is so in-depth my head practically explodes on a regular basis.  And I have to have it all memorized for a mid-term this Friday.  There will be listening examples and essay questions galore.

I have to learn to conduct.

Who the hell decided that?

I have great rhythm when I'm performing music.  I have absolutely zero desire to lead others in a performance of that music. 

Also, not only do I have to learn the music for my voice lessons, but I also have to learn the music for the choir I'm required to take in order to retain my scholarship (in which I sing a different part for almost every piece of music) and for the opera class I'm required to take for the same reason.  Which entails all the choruses in The Mikado and the music for a scene I'm doing in Falstaff.

I had to compose a short piece of music for one of my theory classes last week, my mid-term in music history is Friday, and I have a test in my other theory class Monday.  Plus I think I'm going to have to bump my work hours up to 30 or more per week to do everything my boss needs me to.  And I've been sick for the better part of a week, during which time I drove to Santa Cruz to move a piano and back home in one day (story for another day).

I can feel myself winding up to explode from the stress.  I need some kind of release.  I should go to the gym tomorrow.

Next Friday I perform for our directed listening class, then a couple of my friends are having a party.  I think by then I'll be so ready for a party that I won't be able to stand it.  Then I'll die until Sunday afternoon, do all of my homework, and start over again on Monday.  Which is Halloween.  So it will be perfect. 

In other news, my cat is sleeping upside down on my leg.  And I keep smelling frosting.  I don't think there's even frosting in the house.  There are pigeons roosting outside my window.  But pigeons do not smell like frosting.  I would assume.  I've never smelled a pigeon, so I suppose they could.

I wish I could take a red marker and scribble "brain vomit" all over this post.

4 comments:

  1. And next semester we get to add Lyric Diction and Vocal Pedagogy, as well as try to fit in our upper division gen ed somewhere in our oh-so-empty schedules... Oh and don't forget Basic Piano until we can pass the freaking proficiency test. UGH!!! Kill me now... -_-

    ReplyDelete
  2. Luckily I only have to do like four general ed classes, but I plan to do a minor in accounting, too. I think after this year the music classes will diminish... I hope. I'm not exactly excited about the other two music history classes. Holly made them sound a little difficult. :( I can't wait for Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah I definitely can't wait for a real break from classes... And I've been considering a double major for awhile too, I just don't know what it'd be lol. Maybe since I've been good with the foreign languages I've done so far, like a communication major, with emphasis in foreign language? Except Stan only offers three languages... I've always liked science but it's also a super demanding major so it would probably be super difficult along with music. Ugh. No clue right now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yep, been there, but with a different major. Teaching Theory and Learning Theory and English theory are all subjects that I have been struggling with. 14 units and 26 hours of work a week is not exactly how one takes it easy.

    But, we'll survive. You got a scholarship for this stuff, so you clearly must be good at it.

    Brain vomit is healthy for stress, just like real vomit is healthy when you have the food poisoning .

    ReplyDelete