after

conclusions after a full day of graduate life:

• JP, or Professor Knijff (prounounced "Knife" with a hard "K"), the Research and Writing teacher, is a slight, tall, hilarious keyboard player (mostly organ and harpsichord). He hails from Holland (Titus van den Heuvel's native land?) and has many ideas for the class. Our first assignment is to brush up our bios - I feel mine is too stiff and bland. I am neither stiff nor bland.
• Brookshire terrifies me slightly. His class is ultimately going to be an exercise in my patience. I thought species counterpoint would never haunt me again in this life, but it seems that it will be a big part of what we learn in Harmony and Counterpoint class. For some reason, I don't see how emphasizing that aspect of the 16th century has any resonance with us as musicians. Da and Derek were saying yesterday when I drove them to the White Plains Metro North station that understanding species counterpoint affects the way we conceive of musical line...I'm a singer, I think that's basically bullshit. My ear has always saved me.
• Paul Dunkel rocks. He conducts the Westchester Phil and plays flute at Lincoln Center. He's working with us for the joy of it, not the money or the glory (both minimal). His tempi in Tombeau are a little sketchy at times - I hope he takes the last movement at the brisk marked 120, or at least 112 - but I think he will whip the orchestra into a fine form. I honestly think that the string players, though intonation in the violins was a little "eh" occasionally during the first rehearsal, are more committed than the Oberlin players. Maybe not in the cello section.

The picc part for "Oiseaux Exotiques" looms in my immediate future. Shopping goals: hangers, for all my jackets and sweaters and somber black clothing, ear plugs so i don't go deaf in my right ear from high fast piccolo playing, and perhaps an Indian buffet at Bengal Tiger in White Plains.