Better late than never... Season 2, Episode 13

Well, it seems I have disappointed you, my faithful audience, by being a couple days late with my post.  Rest assured, I have heard your outcry and here is this week's installment of your favorite blog ever!

I will start off this week right where I left off last week: on the bus.  You might recall that I posted last week from the bus, on our way back from Nashville.  I was pretty confident at that point that nothing else of note would happen that week.  Boy, was I wrong.  As the bus neared campus - and I must emphasize, "near campus" - the driver started muttering things like, "this is not good," and, "we're not going to make it."  Then he announced that we were losing coolant.  At this point, we were 3 blocks from Presser Hall (the music building).  Lo and behold, the bus gave a little shudder, and the engine cut out.  Interestingly enough, when the driver realized the bus was about to break down, he did not attempt to get over to the right lane.  He also did not apply the brakes after the engine shut off and allowed the bus to coast to a halt...  you got it, folks, right in the middle of an intersection on Broad Street in North Philly.  It's not a great picture, but this will give you an idea:

I met with Dr. C. this week to discuss my research proposal.  I still can't tell you what I am going to be doing, but - trust me - it is going to be super cool... well, maybe moderately cool... but, definitely very interesting!  Well, she asked me a lot of really great questions and was satisfied enough with my answers to give me the green light to move onto the next steps.  So, I now have to do my IRB (Institutional Review Board) training, get Lionel's permission to use P.G. County Schools data, and submit my proposal to the IRB for approval.  It looks like this is going to happen!  I am stoked!

On Wednesday, we talked stats in Measurement and Evaluation.  It was really great to get to talk about this stuff in a different setting.  It definitely helped me figure out which things I really understand and which I still have no grasp on, whatsoever.  Dr. B. actually explained some of the concepts in a much more accessible way than my stats professor had.  I definitely need to spend some more time banging my head against stats!

I had a really great week in Temple Prep.  For Wind Ensemble, I really needed a win after the literature choice debacle of two weeks ago.  I picked The Winds of Destiny by Eric Morales, whose music I tend to like a lot.  I was just hoping the students would like it too.  It wasn't an easy piece for them.  There were some significant technical demands, not to mention a quite brisk tempo.  But, the students actually tackled the technique quite well and didn't sound half bad doing it.  I can honestly say that their sight reading of the tune was the best they have sounded yet this year!  In Musicianship, we worked on tuning.  It was a very informal lesson, where students, in pairs, attempted to tune to one another.  At the end of the period, a handful of the students hung around in the room and kept trying to tune to one another.  It was a pretty good indication that they, not only understood the concepts and the related skills, but that the importance of being in tune was made relevant to their musical lives.  Score!

So, I have to admit something to you all.  I have not been to the gym since my little spurt of motivation weeks ago.  I keep making excuses, telling myself that I just can't find the time.  Well, enough of that crap.  You don't find time for things, you make time for things.  So, I am going to be making time to both go to the gym and practice.  This is happening.  It has to!

You know that research study I have been working on for Dr. C.?  Well, we hit a snag on Friday.  The computer crashed.  And not a little crash, either.  The computer decided to completely fry the hard drive to the point that Windows wouldn't boot up.  I spent over 3 hours on the phone with the lead researcher trying to resurrect the computer to no avail.  I am not sure what we are going to do!

The big news this week is that I have my next semester all planned out and ready to go.  I will be taking:

• Graduate Seminar in Music Education
• Learning Theory in Music
• Research in Music Education
• Instrumental Conducting Seminar
• Wind Symphony (pending the audition)
• Night Owls Community Band
• Independent Study with Dr. B. - College Marching Band Operations

It is going to be a busy semester, but that seems to be par for the course.  What's more, is that I talked with Dr. C. about transferring in my credits from the University of the Arts Summer Graduate Music Education Program.  She seemed to think that I could transfer them in.  If those credits go through, I can finish my coursework in 2 years, total!  That means I could actually finish my degree in 3 years, total!  Keep your fingers crossed, people.

Well, that is all I have for the week.  Next week should be a little more comprehensive.

Happy Passover to all!

Future Dr. Mitch, out!