The earthquake and hurricane that welcomed me to New Haven are really nothing in comparison to the whirlwind of classes and activities I’ve now been thrown into! Everyone kept telling me on my way back to school that you actually have a lot more time in grad school than undergrad. That may be true for most degrees, but it is never the case with conducting! Most musicians here are encouraged to take around 18 credits worth of classes. The conductors are advised to take around 24.
We start with 15 credits of required stuff, then are encouraged to add a couple electives. Here’s the breakdown for me this semester:
Required:
Conducting lessons for 4 credits
Conducting seminar for 2 credits
Voice lessons for 2 credits
Colloquium for 1 credit
Repertory Chorus – conductor for 2 credits
Recital Chorus – singer for 2 credits
Camerata – singer for 2 credits
My Electives:
Hearing & Analysis IV for 4 credits
Music & Theology in the 16th c. for 4 credits
So there you have it! Except, of course, for one another choir which is no credits but rehearses 5 hours a week. Oh yeah, and then another choir that rehearses two hours a week. (Luckily both are paid gigs!) So in total, I will be singing at least 18 hours a week. Whoa.
All of the hard work is eased, however, by the rewards we get, such as weekly Sherry Refreshment Hour after Colloquium (hilarious!!) and a trip to Turkey and Greece in May. And of course, we have the opportunity to perform incredible pieces. Look for a next blog entry on what music we’re doing and when the concerts are… anyone is welcome to come!
There’s much more to say, but I’ll stop here for now. Gotta get ready for my first conducting lesson!
Songbird Sings 