There are so many ways in which my focus has shifted, my lens of the world bending to take on new twists. There's the obvious financial loop-d-loop and the adjustment to the "student's life" again, with all the extra time and meeting people that it brings. (No complaints here!) But there are also less intuitive paradigm shifts that are only gradually emerging for me.
The biggest one that's cropped up recently has been the performance vs. academic mindset. In the past, performing and practicing were the fun things, the extracurriculars that I squeezed in around the "real" classes/casework. Now, that is my bread and butter. I've been registering for classes, and it's taking a lot of willpower to remind myself that, despite my thirst to Take Everything, I really need to avoid overloading credits. If possible, I should take fewer academic classes because all that is secondary to the Reason I'm Here: to become a better singer, artist, and performer.
It would be very easy (and oh so tempting) to think in the consulting world mindset of add-add-add to the plate based on how many hours there are in the day and how efficient I project I can be. The creative process, though, takes time. Even if the opera workshop doesn't have much work outside of class, for instance, I may want an extra hour to process all the new techniques I'm learning. I need time in the practice rooms, a chance to explore the scores in the library, flexibility to observe and let my characters percolate.
A more mundane shift is my living situation. For the first time in 2 years, I'm unpacking the suitcase. Completely. I don't have to store my toothbrush permanently in a Ziploc bag. I'm not eating out - I actually cook for myself (haven't keeled over yet, so I consider that success.) And I can sleep in the same bed every night (although I have to say that my Aerobed is nice, but the Sofitel/Westin bedding is distinctly nicer... ;) ) It feels mighty fine not to be squeezing my life into carry-on luggage for a while.
Tonight, it's off to a baseball game to meet some of the other students. Last night was clubbing. Oodles of fun but a bit loud. I brought my earplugs as I always do, and chuckled at how many envious compliments I received on them. (Usually it's a combination of taunts and "yeah, I should probably do that"s depending on the person's age.) When the DJ cut out in the chorus of YMCA, it was the most tuneful rendering I've ever heard from a crowd. There was even a high soprano singing the octave up (no, it wasn't I.)
Other news? Miraculously, I passed the music history exam. Theory, as expected, was a complete disaster, but given my lack of background, I'm actually looking forward to the remedial theory classes. Also need to take remedial Italian since I've only had French, Spanish, and German. (The German definitely needs some brushing up; I only had a semester and would love to be at least proficient by the time I graduate. But that will be self-study.) Listening exam results are still TBD, but that's okay. It's all finished, which is a relief!
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
~Hope
3 comments:
hope - is that your photo? i really like it.
the fabric that the glasses are sitting on looks like some gray landscape at first glance.
rows of shrubs or something.
i hope everything is going well!
oh - and this is christopher, by the way.
Thanks, Bud! I figured you might like this photo since it's reminiscent of many of your extraordinary ones! :) In fact, I think I got the idea from some of your work. Thanks!
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