Argh, time is so precious lately. Tonight I'm composing for my lesson tomorrow. After that, I work on my presentation that I give on Wednesday. After that class on wed, I will devote myself to my electro piece - for which I have a rehearsal on Wednesday night and an in-class performance on Friday.
There is SO much work to do for the electro piece, but time is booked solid in the lab because I think everyone is in the same situation. If it comes down to it, I'll do some of the work at home - maybe that would be for the best...
From the looks of it, I will be heading to Winnipeg for about 2 weeks starting at the end of April. I am excited because
a) I will get to go to at least some of my friends' graduation recitals.
b)I will be going up to Thompson to visit my niece... and Sister/Brother-in-law.

I've noticed that my posts, while less frequent, are getting longer and longer.
To make up for it, I'll do a short one.
I went to Judy's recital last night. It was spectacular and she had a reception at her house afterwards. Pure Delight!
I have super duper lots of work to get done this weekend, which is why I'm leaving for school now.
Good Day!

An open letter to those who would see the CBC Radio Orchestra dismantled

To whom it may concern,
There are no words apt enough to convey my disappointment in the CBC's decision to dismantle the CBC Radio Orchestra. I sincerely hope that there remain words that might describe the severity of this decision and how it will effect my life, the cultural life of Canada and, as a result, the lives of all Canadians.

In an age where many of my peers - the youth of this country - are stricken with voter apathy, I vote. While I have seen many of my friends move to other countries in order to 'experience life' and broaden their horizons, I have stayed here and, until now, felt satisfied.

I am at a crossroads. I have been to other countries where the Arts are cherished not only by the artists, but by the government and the population at large. I have felt that sense of empowerment, feeling that my road in life as a composer is a valued one - That is certainly not something I have felt here in Canada.

Last year I faced a choice between travelling the world and attending graduate studies here in Canada; somehow I made the decision to stay. In a year's time, I will once again face such a decision and I can assure you that variables such as the fate of the CBC Radio Orchestra will play a major role in how I will make my choice.

I have long understood that if I ever want to teach in a Canadian university, my credentials must be from a North American University. While that limited my options a year ago, I now wonder whether or not it is worthwhile to remain in a country which would dismantle the last remaining broadcasting ensemble in North America.

Please understand, that what may seem like a standard business move - aimed at increasing revenue and decreasing cost - is in fact, much more. The way you treat cultural voices and icons, such as the CBC Radio Orchestra, is a bold statement heard by everyone about how you treat and value the artists within your community.

I will not live in a country which states so clearly that it will not support its musicians . These artists give so much to the countries culture by preserving and developing its artistic heritage. Furthermore, by cutting programs like the CBC National Young Composer's Competition, you are sending me and all young musicians a very clear message - that you neither value the community to which I aspire, nor are you willing to support my creative development.

I once again find myself at a loss for words. I am disappointed in the fact that you would even think of dismantling one of Canada's most important musical traditions, and am disheartened beyond what words can explain to think that this decision was actually made.

I can only hope that one day, I will be able to write a piece of music that might affect people so deeply as this news has affected me. I know that when I do write that piece, it will be in a community that values myself and all artists. Will I be writing it in Canada? I leave that up to you.

The decision to dismantle the CBC Radio Orchestra is not only wrong, but disrespectful. Canadian culture deserves far better. I implore you to act responsibly and reverse this decision immediately.

Sincerely,
Michael Park

Hello World

I'm feeling pretty good. Logically, I shouldn't, but who says logic has any place in the real world?
I had class this morning at 9:30, then I did some quick library research and found exactly what I needed, although now I need a translation of Ukrainian Folk Songs. Damned presentation/research project!! Every new bit of information I find ends up uncovering something new that I need to find out. Nevertheless, I quite like it.
Then I came home and did a little work on that project, watched a little tv, ate a little supper and then eventually went back to school for the evening.... hmm that timing doesn't work out -
Oh ya, I went to a cafe for lunch-ish working.
[In case you haven't caught on, this post will be a little bit 3am inspired randomness]
This morning, I saw an ad for an apartment downtown. I've been calling for prices over the last few weeks - basically any for rent sign I see. I've been a little discouraged, but today I am excited. I think I found the place I want to live. I've fallen in love with one of the streets on which I walk when I go downtown, they haven't been advertising rentals or who I could contact about that sort of thing. Today I ended up finding the missing link and found out that one of the apartments I've been waiting to see advertising has very decently priced bachelor apartments. I guess I should wait to see the inside, but I've already decided that if one is available for September, that's where I will live. At the same time, I'm a little antsy to wait until July. I'm not going to stay in London all summer next year, so I might sublet this lease instead of subletting the end of next year's. Oy, it's all up in the air, but oh well.
Ok, back to this evening - wait, I hadn't gotten there yet.
I met with my electro-singer and we recorded a bunch of stuff tonight for my piece. She is the same singer who is also singing Andrea's song cycle, except when she sings that, she is not my electro-singer.
The recording went quite well. The process by which I'm writing this piece is odd, mostly because the time frame is short and I can't expect to just throw it at the singer a few days before we perform... her own recital is the same day as this performance! (You're probably saying "What a trooper", and you'd be right!) Having not started until late evening, we finished recording at midnightish. When I checked the bus schedule, it confirmed that I was too late for the last bus to downtown. I pondered the idea of just staying all night and then taking a morning bus home. I continued my own work basically editing what I recorded and putting it into my Max patch. I finished after 2am, and it was 2:15 by the time I got packed up and was out of the building. I was home before 3. There were some entertainingly stumbly people walking the opposite direction - ok, there was one, but he was entertaining enough.
I really wanted a frosty, but there was a lineup of like a billion (6ish) punks, so I just continued home. I almost got skunked! It was unnerving. We were both a little startled, but for everyone's benefit, neither of us seeped liquid,spray, or anything else from our bottoms.
Ok, so when I was at the cafe today, there were a couple of cops sitting at a nearby table. I'm not even sure if it irked me or not, but I left my table for approximately 18-23 seconds to blow my nose in the bathroom and when I got back, one of them told me that I should be careful leaving my valuables unattended. Maybe I should feel bad about taking them for granted. Maybe if they hadn't have been police officers, I would have asked the people in the room to watch my things for a moment, but pooey on him.
I'm actually more resentful not that people are so dishonest, but that people are so distrusting of those around them. It's true, if my shit got stolen, I would be singing a different tune, but why should I be so suspicious of everyone around me? The cafe was filled with nose-in-book students and middle aged women, ok and a few ditsy Western girls (but there's no escaping them in London, Ontario).
I've been to Europe a few times, so bigger North American cities, I've spent a fair bit of time in downtown Winnipeg and I've never had anything stolen from me - and I'm not willing to accept that it is dumb luck, or simply a matter of time before it happens to me. I think I am a good judge of character. It is certainly not that I am not suspicious; I know when and when not to leave a table unattended for a short period of time- SHORT. People who leave their laptop on a desk and wander off to talk to friends in a different section of the library - they are the ones who should be getting those warnings.
The version of this super-suspicion people seem to have that irked me was when I was scorned for leaving my laptop in the electro lab at school during a recital. The lab is always locked, you have to go through two combination-entry-pad doors. The only people who ever go in there are 6 students and 2 profs who have class in there. It is more likely that my laptop would have been lifted by someone in the recital hall. Either way, neither of these situations are logically fathomable.
Ok, now I'm tired, I will go to sleep now and stop blathering away. I dare say, this was on the verge of .... ranty...!

Wow, I've pretty much wasted the long part of this weekend. I don't even know how; I had such good intentions and the apartment to myself. I seem to be less productive when my roommate is out of town. Maybe I should rethink living on my own - having productive people around me is a good influence.
The highlight of this weekend was doing an interview with a composer for a course presentation. She was delightful and very helpful. It was almost like she was too articulate. I was anticipating her taking more time to answer, thus giving me more time to write down the gist of it. It was also that I was asking fairly specific questions. Long story short, it went very well and she affirmed that I was on the right track with how I am looking at/ analyzing her piece.
I asked her also some questions about being a pianist/composer. While I hadn't thought of it before, it appears I was looking for specific ideas, but I didn't get them. We come from very different places I guess. She is an incredibly gifted and accomplished Carnegie hall playing concert pianist in addition to being a talented composer - I am not.

On the 24'th it will be once year since my grad recital. I listened to parts of the recording today. Despite what some may think, it's obvious that I was not in a position to decide between a career as a performing pianist and as a composer. The reality of the situation is that My talent for composition brought itself out at the same time as I was realizing that I didn't have the aptitude for decent piano chops. All of this, I am fine with. The unfortunate thing is that, as much as I claimed that I would give both streams equal focus last year, I did not. Neither got the focus they deserved, and it was especially obvious that piano was not in any shape to be less than 100% of my life's devotion. It was not with fresh ears that I was listening today. I listened objectively and came to that conclusion.

Even with that said, I'm seriously looking into an improvisation workshop this summer that would have me back at the piano. It would also have me in Vancouver, I'm very interested. I'm just trying to find out to what extent it is a jazz improvisation thing. The website isn't completely clear, it could also be applicable to classical, either way, it could be good. I'm also going to apply to some composition focused programs, but I think I've missed most deadlines. Oopsie...

I had fallen in love with the comic Toothpaste for Dinner earlier this year and I've slowly made my way through all of the daily comics since 2002.... Now, I've caught up and I will only be able to read one a day. Anyway, I've read them all, and I highly recommend giving it a shot.

I've been working at the school more and more as time goes by. Tonight, I was reminded of just how productive it can be to work at a piano. I keep see-sawing on that issues, whether I should work at a piano or not - well, it's working for me currently, so I'll keep at it. I know things are getting near the end, but it seems that I have everything under control. I've done some good work on my presentation for Contemporary, and that's not for 2 weeks. I want to finish the ground work so I can just review what I did before presenting, I'm not intending to continue working on it right up until I present. I'll finish it so I can pick the topic for my paper as well as focus on the other things due by end of term.
I know that electro will be a last-minute hardcore workfest, and I've found out that my singer works the same way as I do, so she's fine with leaving things until last minute-ish. Obviously not totally last minute, but it's good to know I don't need to overly stress about it.
We've been informed that there will not be a second reading for our Orchestration class, which means I won't have to do parts for my orchestration, but I'm disappointed that it's not going to happen. I was also hoping to get a short composition read if it was going to happen, but I guess that's a no go.

Oy, it's 2am. Luckily only maybe have class tomorrow. It's either tomorrow or Friday and I'll find out which one tomorrow morning ish. This will be a good weekend for writing lots of music. I have an interview booked with the composer whose work I am doing my presentation on. I'm very excited to talk to her!

It hasn't really bothered me all year, but now I'm feeling like I'm missing out on stuff back home.
Many of my friends from music school are having their grad recitals around this time. I would love to be there both to hear them and support them, but it's just not going to happen.

Also, yesterday my sister got a puppy! It flew in from Texas, so my parents had the opportunity to play with it during its layover in Winnipeg. I know they live in Thompson, so it's not like I would be seeing it all the time even if I was in Winnipeg, but at least I would have some chances. I realized the other day that the soonest I might see the puppy is during the summer - then it will be bigger than little cutesy puppy size already, but at least it will still be little playful puppy sized. If I'm not able to make it up there in summer, I won't see it until Christmas, and it will be full grown by then, though still energetic with puppy vitality.
Anyway, I got to see the puppy with my brother in law on their webcam yesterday evening, so I'm happy about that, but I really wanted to be there to hug it and hold it like the baby Jesus. For those of you who have never experienced Michael with animals - all animals who can be held, love to be held like the baby Jesus and have Christmas and/or other Jesus themed songs sung to them. ie "Rock-a-bye Jesus, in the tree top...".

On the other hand, I've made some new friends here who are also having some spectacular recitals and there are lots of good things going on here. I have lots of work to do which is keeping me busy. 2 weeks until I give a presentation for one of my classes, 3 weeks until the electroacoustic concert ( wow that's not much time.. EEK) and then a paper due shortly thereafter for my contemporary composers class. I guess also on that 3 week timeline are my orchestration work and a new composition in general. In other words, there's lots to do in the next few weeks.
It's crunch time!

Ok, the plan for today is to make and eat a big lunch and then go to the school and do lots of work. I need to make it into the electro lab and get some work done before my next class. Other people needing the lab have started to sign up for time, so I need to make sure I sign up for a couple slots to ensure that I can get my work done.

The Student Composers Concert was last night.
It was wonderful. Every piece had something of value and the performances were of a high calibre, especially considering that the ensembles don't get graded. I was very impressed with everything.
I don't like the seating in that hall, it hurts my ass, but other than that, it was a very enjoyable evening.
Having heard many of the pieces at the dress rehearsal, I can also say that there was a significant improvement in every group made over this last week.
My piece was very well received by everyone I talked to, and my prof pulled me aside afterwards for some very reassuring words.
Most of the composers along with friends and some of the performers went out for drinks at the grad club afterwards. By the end, it had thinned out to 6 of us, I could finally hear the conversation as the music died down a bit, and we had a wonderful conversation about this that and the other.
I can't wait to get the recording and give it another more objective listen. I will also make the recording available on Facebook once I get a hold of it.

Now that piece has finished it's initial lifespan. It's eaten up a lot of this year, and I'm proud of it, but I will be happy to put it away for a while. Now it's on to the other work that lies ahead. This will be a productive weekend, I intend to get a lot of writing done!

Blogging seems to be getting pushed to the back burner lately, and I can't foresee any change in that for a while.
I think that I will have a handle on everything that I need to get done this year, although it will be busy.
Something I forgot to factor into the equation was recitals - there are a lot of them going on and I would like to go to more than I can. Nevertheless, I'm finding it easier to say no to them because of one key factor...
They don't do recital receptions here!!! No dainties, no beverages, no finger sandwiches... I remember basically spending every evening of recital season at the school - practising before, after and sometimes during the recitals and then socializing and eating thereafter; it was economical and delicious. It also made recitals into a social event, which is what Manitoba is known for.
Honestly, that doesn't really have any bearing on my decisions to go or not to recitals; it's just a little thing I miss about Manitoba.

I've been doing some phoning around about apartments, and it's not looking promising for a bachelor or 1-bedroom, but I know I'm looking too early. I need to just ignore this until I'm done school.

I sent an email to a prof and it's looking promising that there will be an improv ensemble next year. Once classes are over, I will meet with her and discuss what involvement I might have with the group. Best case scenario would be if I got to be a TA for the class instead of teaching sight singing.

Enough of that, back to work for me!

The weekend came and went.
I'm not really any less sick, but I'm feeling better about it because I'm used to it. The illness has settled into its runny nose/throat and general constant thirst phase - where it will stay for a while...

The dress rehearsal for this Friday's concert was on Sunday - it went fairly well and I feel very good about how my piece will sound at the concert. I'm very excited about the concert and I'm sure we'll go out for drinks afterwards which will be delightful!

Sunday was also daylights saving time. I dislike this whole process. I forgot about it upon waking until my roommate reminded me, and then again upon sleeping - realizing that I had stayed up an hour later than I thought...

I need to get some groceries tomorrow. I'm not in dire need of food, I could live at least a month on what I have, but I don't have any fresh vegetables/fruit/cheese. Also, we are dangerously close to running out of toilet paper, so a trip to the grocery store will be a good thing to do tomorrow. I need to try to spend very little at the store, this month, I need to tighten the budget significantly in order to make up for previous overspending... oopsie.

In terms of finances, this year hasn't been a complete failure... If I don't get a summer job, I won't quite make it through the summer, but that's silly, a job is certainly in the plans. In addition to paying rent/bills in summer, I need to save up for the following year. Anyway, to avoid any extra stress, I'm sending in the rest of the paperwork for student loans that I was hoping to avoid by thinking I didn't need the money.
The mixture of living on my own for the first time in my life + not working during the school year for the first time since having started work = Not the best financial outlook.
As it stands, I will be working next year, back to ballet accompaniment. More than likely, I will be moving and paying more in rent, so that should at least even things out, probably still profiting. I'm guaranteed the same funding from school, and if I get the OGS, that's even more.
Oi, I shouldn't talk so much about money, but that's the way it is. I'm glad for student loans not because I need it desperately, rather I know it is there for as much as I need. Even this year, I won't be taking as much as they are offering. Maybe I should and put it in savings, so as to not need as much next year, but I like to think of it as accurately depicting how much I needed during my time out here.

In terms of moving, I'm thinking of moving into the ghetto of London, then it will be cheap enough for me to have a place of my own, like a bachelor or 1 bedroom. Anyway, more about that as it comes!

A quick update for the millions of people out there worrying about me -
I'm feeling somewhat better. A bit of a lateral movement - I'm no longer fluey, just coldy, I guess that's what it is. My nose is runny, I'm thirsty and my voice is a little hoarse.

I dislike the whole process of my body emitting snot from my nasal cavities, especially when it happens so often that the nose starts burning from kleenex.

I have electro tomorrow, I wish I would have done more, but being sick prevented me from spending more time in the lab, and other people are also starting to spend more and more time there working on their own projects. Nevertheless, I got a nice chunk of stuff done to show how and what I'm going to do for my second piece. I took a survey of what I need to get done before the end of term and I think it will be manageable - intense, yet manageable.
Or maybe not, ah, who knows.

real sick...ick!

First off, bonus points to anyone who can identify where that title comes from...

As the title implies, I have some kind of stomach flu or something, I'm really hoping it's only one of those short lived ones, as I'm feeling no-where near as bad as I did last night. Let's just say that if the flu manifested itself in a more creative way, Mozart might have been jealous of the ease with which music spewed forth from me last night.
The worst part was that I felt the inevitability coming for the entire wait for bus, bus ride and subsequent walk home, totalling slightly under an hour.
This morning, I was convinced that I would go to class, case closed. I showered and even made my way to the bus stop. As I stood there, both shivering and sweating, my stomach queased- as if to dare me to try and make it through a 3-hour seminar class. I backed down from the dare and climbed back into bed.

Anyway, I shan't continue with such unpleasant matters.

I've been feeling better since waking up this afternoon. I decided since I wasn't in the mood to force myself to do something productive, I listened to an entire opera - score in hand.
Peter Grimes - It was wonderful! My intention with taking it out was to see how Britten writes for a large voice, as I will be doing the same in the summer. My impression with the soprano who sang Ellen in this recording was that she didn't have a terribly large voice, but then again, what the Fach do I know?!? (haha, sorry, terrible terrible pun)
I also asked my prof what considerations one should have when writing for large voice, and did some reading on Fachs online, but the general idea I'm getting is that there doesn't need to be a difference in how you approach it, rather just an awareness that the voice has more presence and therefore, can still be heard over thicker textures (orchestra).
I'm glad that I didn't only listen to the arias focusing on Ellen, the Opera was spectacular. I loved the economy of Britten's music. Themes and musical fragments reappear, creating a sense that the opera is a whole; everything is related. I also loved that it was in English. I understood the dramatic action throughout, but I think I missed out on any kind of moral statement. It seemed that the story/opera should have made one, but it wasn't openly apparent to me.

In general, I have been doing badly with listening lately. Earlier in the year, I was filling up all my spare time with listening to recordings from the library, score in hand - I seem to have faltered from that good habit. I will try to get back into that habit, but I'm not sure how much free time for listening I will be having before the end of term. Nevertheless, summer will be all about working and listening and writing.

Tomorrow morning, my piano trio is rehearsing and I need to go listen. Therefore, I need to be healthy. Fortunately, that's only a one-hour commitment in the morning; if needed, I can just come home to bed right afterwards.

While I had been feeling that I'd accomplished nothing over break, it was good to talk to some of the other comp students tonight and have it put into perspective - I'd certainly not done any less than my colleagues; if anything, I've done a little more. Anyway, the moral of this story is that I don't have to feel bad about only recently developing some sort of direction with my second piece.
As this piece won't be performed this year, there isn't as much pressure, it's purely a learning tool, which I need to use for preparation for my thesis next year... which will be my next and final composition of this degree....WOW! Quite a bit of a jump...

For electro, there is a lot of work I will need to do for my second piece. The performance date is at the beginning of April, so it has to be written and learnt by the performer by then...!

I'm rehearsing with my erhuist tomorrow. I'm excited.

The student composers' concert is in just over a week, and the dress rehearsal is on Sunday. I will hear it for the first time on thursday. I feel confident that they will do a good job, I'm very excited to hear it!
Ok, that's enough rambling for today.

I'm home...

The bus trip home was less than perfect - one bus leaving late and an accident holding us up somewhere in Ontario for at least half an hour meant I got into Toronto 20 minutes after the bus depot closed for the night... there were no more buses home to London.
At 1am, I took a chance and apologetically called my most favourite person in all of Torontonia - Charmeee!! Anyway, I got a good night's sleep and made it home early this afternoon.

Aside from travel concerns, the trip was just what I needed.
-It re-affirmed my love/desire/craving for big city life.
-Apparently, I don't dislike Toronto nearly as much as I thought I did.
-I got to do a lot of socializing and spent some really good quality time with some friends and family of whom I don't see nearly enough.

I got a teeny little bit of work done, but I will be making this shorter than I'd like because I neeeeeeed to get much done during the remainder of this weekend.
Mainly:
1) Orchestration for Monday - 2 short Schoenberg pieces.
B) Learn Erhu accompaniment solidly.
3) Compose something for my Lesson. I've decided that in preparation for my thesis, I will write a few short pieces - first as piano pieces, but with orchestration in mind while I am working on them as piano pieces, eventually orchestrating them fully.
d) Life-ish stuff - laundry, groceries, letters to mail, cleaning, financial organization etc.

Reactions to my trip:
My friends in Toronto and Montreal seem to be doing quite well - I'm jealous of their living conditions, but either living in an amazing city like Montreal, or paying ridiculous rent in TO will do that...
I've been struggling to maintain the motivation to keep walking from school and for errands here in London, but in a big city, you need far less of such motivation.

Oy, I've spent too much time here already, so much to get done.