well this sounds familiar...I recall myself and someone else who formerly had an LJ complaining about this (well, and other things!) not too long ago :P
( ... )
Well this rant is slightly different. I am not attacking the hard work students have put forth. I am upset over the lack of guidance and preparation the department gives to go to grad school. The dept shelters you from hearing other schools programs. The truth is they aren't helping you towards your goal. They don't tell you how to prepare for an audition for a school, they don't remind you to take the GREs, they don't tell you of job fairs or career fairs. I simply think it is because the faculty aren't organized and are fighting for positions themselves and thus don't give two craps about the students. They tell you its a 4 year program, but thats bullshit. When you add up, as a performer, the amount of ensembles you have to take because you are obligated because of your instrument, you find yourself easily in 21-26 credits. My last semester I had to take 23 credits, none of them ensemble but I couldn't leave my position in the orchestra, chamber players, and new music ensemble. And I had to put a recital together. It isn't fair and
( ... )
I want to say I do agree with you, and I think you made several relevant points. Now the previous rant you have brought back actually does tie into this because the musicology program is advertised by the dept as the "program for those who can't hack it as musicians". Hence the comments I made so long ago were of a sarcastic sort because I was told that I really had no business as a performer but damn could I analyse the crap out of some books. My comment that seems to live on is in reference of this-it had NOTHING to do with the work people do or do not do, rather the "skills" that dept seemed to think I had an abundance of-which was reading. The irony being that I have now declared English as my major just to get out of UMBC. Anyway, I do think you are on to something here, and I am sure many people have questioned these things as well. Like I have said to many people, I love music but I hate doing it at UMBC. Viva La English Dept! A former pseudofavourite now in the trash for voicing her opinion.
I was told I have no business being a performer AFTER graduating as one. I threw all this money to them just to be told I suck and need to work harder after they kiss my ass and give me a degree. What kind of education is that? The fact is that no student in that department except for 2 that I can think of are good enough and prepared to go to graduate school. The rest are being led to believe that they are wonderful and extremely talented when in reality they are sub-par musicians and will be forced to work a part time job in the technology industry and they only have that because they learned so much from their roommates...Don't get me wrong, I don't think its those students fault. They are intentionally being allowed to slip through the cracks. The honors recital is the evidence of this whole entire thing. They celebrate the hard work of a few, while forcing the rest to sit and watch and "celebrate" the achievements of their fellow students. If they were doing their job, everyone would make the honors recital, thus there would be
( ... )
Comments 4
Reply
Reply
Now the previous rant you have brought back actually does tie into this because the musicology program is advertised by the dept as the "program for those who can't hack it as musicians". Hence the comments I made so long ago were of a sarcastic sort because I was told that I really had no business as a performer but damn could I analyse the crap out of some books. My comment that seems to live on is in reference of this-it had NOTHING to do with the work people do or do not do, rather the "skills" that dept seemed to think I had an abundance of-which was reading. The irony being that I have now declared English as my major just to get out of UMBC.
Anyway, I do think you are on to something here, and I am sure many people have questioned these things as well. Like I have said to many people, I love music but I hate doing it at UMBC.
Viva La English Dept!
A former pseudofavourite now in the trash for voicing her opinion.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment