My roommate and I had a celebratory shot of tequila tonight to celebrate finishing grad funding applications.
It's been weeks now that we've been constantly editing our 2-page write-ups. Trying to fit the plans for and research elements of this degree into one or two pages has not been a fun experience.
It's been a fair while since I actually had to write anything of worth. I did the SSHRC application last year, and I'm not surprised at all that I didn't get the scholarship. At U of M, they had no resources available to me to understand what the scholarship was about, so I didn't really treat it very seriously. This time around, there were presentations on how to write a successful proposal and all of my profs have been open and helpful. Other students, my roommate, profs and my choreographer all helped me to transform the original version into a much more detailed and refined version which I will be submitting tomorrow. Each time I got comments, I basically restructured it and the last few edits have been shifting back and forth based on the editors' views of what the panel will be looking for. Therefore, I am no longer getting commentary on things being unclear or not explained well enough, so I know that it is clear and concise. I took a compromise on the differing views of how I should structure the information and now I am actually happy with it. As I re-read it, I braced myself for finding that huge mistake that would set me back in front of the computer for hours, but I didn't find it.
Anyway, tomorrow it will be out of my hands and I will just have to wait until ca. February to find out the results. I am already nervous.
The value of the scholarships is about 15-17.5 grand - enough that I would be set for living expenses next year and be able to live comfortably. If I don't get either one, I still get the funding I'm receiving this year, but I would prefer more...
Anyway, I had still not really had any ideas for my Piano Trio work up until this weekend and it would be inexcusable to go into my lesson on tuesday with nothing to show for the last 2 weeks, but I had a wonderful creative outburst this weekend and I have something... not much, but something to go on. Now I have direction and it's just a matter of sitting down and working hard at it the next few days and I will have something valuable to show my teacher - well, I hope it will be of value...
I feel like I have more direction in this piece, so now it will just be a matter of actually getting around to writing it and putting it down on paper and then computer.
The Autumn cycle is bringing itself together, I'm getting impatient for the final copyright permission, then I will just unleash myself, but that is the least pressing project at the moment.
The Dance film, I did the newest recording session before the weekend and over the last few days, I started piecing together the session. I'm learning more and more about how to use the technology, so I have lots of new ideas that will make this new edit even better than the first draft. I feel like I will be in a lot better control for this edit. I need to get it done quickly though, that is high up on the list of priorities, and once Tuesday's lesson is done, it moves to priority number 1. It will definitely be done before next weekend and then I think it should be out of my hands, barring slight edits.
Starting next weekend, I'm pushing myself into super-composing mode. I've already been in grad school for over a whole month, I feel like I should have composed a hell of a lot more, so I'm going to make myself do it. Even though my only real focus/project is the piano trio, I will start working on much more. Of course these are words of bravado, but I hope to live up to them.

Zippydoodle, I need to go to bed - long day tomorrow.