Sam's take on Einstein

Einstein and I are practically the same person. It's really true. Einstein never liked combing his hair in the morning; I don't like combing my hair in the morning. Einstein played the violin but always wished he'd have picked cello; I realized I liked cello better in time and was spared the same mistake. Einstein was no good at math in school. I'm no good at math in school.
See? The resemblance is shocking!
Einstein came up with this theory of something called relativity. It's very complicated and it is proven by mixing all these numbers and letters together, but Albert Einstein managed to sum up the concept very creatively:
"Place your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it will feel like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it will feel like a minute. That's relativity." Well said, Mr. Einstein.
But lately, I've been having a new kind of struggle with this theory of relativity, involving time/sleep continuum. See, in high school, no matter how late I had to stay up, I was always somehow up before 6 am on a school day. For four years of my life, I got to school five times a week between 7:10 and 7:15 every morning. Now, my earliest class is at 8am, only three times a week, and making it there on time is the hardest thing I do all week. In high school, the road(s) from my house to the school had this amazing traffic/stop light phenomenon where as long as I left the house at some time between 6:40 and 6:55, a 15 minute window, I'd still somehow arrive within my five minute window. If I left earlier than 6:40, it'd only take 10 or 11 minutes to get there. If I left after 6:55, it'd take at least a half hour.
So how was it, that in high school, it was only considered getting up early if it meant being out of bed before 6 am? No matter what time I got out of bed, I was always ready to go around 6:45? I always got to school at the same time? And I was able to execute this successfully for four years?
and now. . . . .
Not even a ringing telephone can force my eyes open before 7 am? It takes a bus 20 minutes to drive me where I can walk in 25? No matter how early I get on that bus, I can't get to the 8am before 8:04? And getting ready without hitting snooze even once still won't get me ready in time for breakfast, or even get me ready for class any earlier than 3 snoozes?
Mr. Einstein, you spent so much time and energy explaining the workings of the entire universe by studying it's tiniest elements. Why did you never come to the middle ground and teach about the transition of sleep patterns from high school to college?

I just saw this clip on Letterman's website. The guy rode the unicycle on a treadmill and juggled all at the same time. These are things I can do, and this guy gets to be on national TV. It's a sign.

12 days left

Well, I'm still a fan of Thanksgiving. I had fun these past five days, but nothing felt the same as it used to. This was my first time back in Tahoka since Grandpa's funeral over a year ago, and my first time at a Tahoka holiday since Christmas '03. This was also the first time I went to Abilene for a holiday where we're just going to see Grandpa, not MarlaJosh.
I had alot of downtime in Abilene this week. Alot. Not that that was bad. Alot of the time I could have been doing certain things, I simply chose to relax and sort of get nothing done. But today I'd been wondering what is it that usually keeps me busy in Abilene? Sure, at Christmas, Camry and Kylie are there and we do stuff with them. Even when it's just doing nothing at the house, you're doing nothing with somebody. And it dawned on me. With the exception of last year, I've been in Abilene/Tahoka for the last several Thanksgivings. I usually don't do anything there, but I didn't feel as bored those years because before and after Tahoka, I'd do nothing at Grandpa's for awhile. I'd spend some time doing nothing at Marla's apartment. And in the evenings I'd go up to the radio station and do nothing there. I was alot busier.
Abilene was stranger this year. Luckily, my friend Jonathan was in a similar situation at his grandparents', and we were able to get together Friday night. However, I spent an excessive amount of time in the sewing room this year (where the other TV in the house is.) Not as much fun as usual. Typically, during Christmas visits, that's sort of where a Marsh grandkid reports when he/she doesn't have anything to do. You go in there and watch TV, and many times others join you. I have great memories of staying up way into the night watching Nick at Nite or Disney Channel on that couch. However, this year, I was in there by myself most of the time. My parents would come by from time to time to either pretend to take interest in what I was doing or to try and get me to do something else. Not really the idea of being in there.
But, on the bright side, I start this week fully rested, with drawers and closet full of clean clothes, and with a very specific calendar and schedule of action from here until December 13th.
12 more days of going to class! This week is regular classes. It will feature tests in American History and Music History.
Next week is "Dead Week." The name means nothing. It's supposed to be a week where no assignments are given, no new material is presented, and attendance is optional. However, American History will continue lecturing, seeing as how we are still 60 years from being caught up to the present day America. Music theory will, in all likeliness, continue moving forward, according to the syllabus. Aural Skills and PE are actually giving their finals that week. Oh, and that's also the week of juries. So the whole idea of a week where there is nothing to interfere with studying and preparing, is nothing more than an idea.
Then the great big FINALS WEEK! Or should I say finals days? I have two tests Monday, and one on Tuesday morning. I'll be home Tuesday evening, the 13th. If anyone from home is going to be getting home that week, lemme know.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read this story. Katie and I used to be in shows together!!!! Go to Look under the tabs for the shows "Children of Eden" 2002, Fiddler on the Roof 2001, and Secret Garden, 2001. Spring Break, I'm so in New York:

Katie Clarke to Replace Kelli O'Hara in The Light in the Piazzaby Broadway.com Staff
Katie Clarke Katie Clarke will be the new Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza starting on December 16. Kelli O'Hara, who received a Tony nomination for her performance in the tuner, will depart on December 4 to begin preparation for her upcoming role in The Pajama Game revival. Understudy Jennifer Hughes will perform the role of Clara from December 6 through December 15.
Clarke will be making her New York stage debut in The Light in the Piazza. She has appeared in Anything Goes at Houston's Theater Under The Stars and in The Exonerated, Ragtime, Smokey Joe's Café, Anything Goes and The Sound of Music at Sam Houston State University, where she'll graduate with a BFA in Musical Theatre next month.
Story continues below

Clarke will join a cast that includes Victoria Clark, Aaron Lazar, Chris Sarandon, Patti Cohenour, Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry and Beau Gravitte.
The Light in the Piazza is currently scheduled to end its limited engagement at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on March 26, 2006

Grad school funding

So I've been struck with what I think is a pretty good project idea that I could use to make some money for grad school. If you continue reading this blog you are entering a legally binding contract to always recognize the following as Sam's idea and not steal it for yourself.









Gigs. Jobs. Free-lance playing. Every musician does it at some point in their professional career. Even the greatest players in the world, at some point, made their money job to job. Alot of teachers, once they've established themselves in their school and even started a family at home, continue to supplement their income with free-lance performing in their local area.
I get the impression, from visiting with other players, that to a musician, our gig stories are like fishermen and their stories. Every musician has their favorite story about the "worst gig" or the "funniest thing" weather it be a wedding where the photographer's flash color-blinded the harpist and she couldn't see her color-coded strings, or a community theater musical where the night before the show opened, the director asked your bassoon player if he could stand on the stage and sing tenor. Pianists occasionally accompany singers so awful, the forthcoming paycheck is the only thing that barely keeps them hanging on to their composure through the performance.
Anyways, I think it would be fun to advertise for players to send in their best gig stories. It'd be like a contest or something, if your story gets chosen I'll give you $25 for the full rights to publish it and everything. I'll notify every music school I can get an e-mail address for, and every players' union/guild in every major city in the U.S. about the contest. The stories would have to be funny, believable, and something that every musician reading it would relate to and sympathize with. Then pick like the top 100 stories and publish a book. This is the book that would happen if they made "Chicken Soup for the Free-Lance Musician's Soul."
So, if you're reading this, and you're a musician, tell me: Would you pay $10 to read 100 hilarious gig stories? If you're the loved one of a musician, would that sort of book get your attention as a gift item? I know it would be the sort of thing I would enjoy reading through from time to time, and I think other players would get a kick out of other players' stories as well.
If I were to do this some day, and pay $25-$50 per story, for 100 stories, I'd need as much as $5000 to get started. Perhaps it'd be better if I found a publisher who liked the idea and would give me an advance. But wait, I don't know how to write a book. I'd have to find somebody who could help me edit this book. hmmmm, things I need to be finding out.

Goblet of Fire

Just got back from the midnight Harry Potter showing. I thought I was a true fan, but I was not prepared. A friend of mine, and part of the group of us that went, called me to come up there at 10 and save seats. He and I did, and we were not a minute to soon, the place was packed well before 11. And many people there were in costume . . . . but strange.
Anyways, if you've read the books, I know you'll like this movie. If you haven't you probably still would anyways, it's fun to watch. Kinda long, 2:45, but full of stuff the entire time, and they still cut out alot of good stuff from the book, which is why you should read the book(s) first.

So I just got out of my lesson with Mr. Osadchy, it was great!!!! I played well, I think. Anyways, he said good things about the things I secretly thought were the best things about my playing; it's always good to know that your own honest evaluation of your playing is accurate. . . . . well. . . . .that's almost always good.
Anyways, it was a good lesson, and it just reminded me how badly I want to study with him. As I was packing up at the end of the lesson, I decided to bring it up, so I asked if he was going to have any spaces in his studio next semester. He didn't really have an answer, said there are a few people auditioning for DMA next semester, and not sure who all is leaving, but he did promise that he will have me in mind when scheduling time comes around. So I guess now I'm just as uncertain as I was before I asked the question.
One thing that does concern me, was his correction of my shifting technique. No need to go on with boring details about what that is or anything, it's just that shifting technique is the biggest thing the TA has worked on with me this semester, and Mr. Osadchy essentially put my shifts back the way they were this summer, and ya know something, they sound better there! But now I can tell my TA that that's the way they're going to be 'cuz Mr. Osadchy said so, and not because, "Well I know you're my teacher and all, but this is wrong."
So I was really happy with how the lesson went. I now know how I'm going to work on that piece to be ready for the audition.
Oh, and tonight is "Harry Potter"! I've been looking forward to this for weeks. Yeah, the movie looks good and all, but mainly it's just 'cuz I've been so busy and stressed throughout the last several weeks, and I've just had this date on my calendar as a day when I would have so much past me (the MUMH paper mainly) and just set aside all the other projects for a day and go out with my friends. It will be great!

now'd be a great time to keep those fingers crossed

Okay, two major reasons it would be good for the muses of art and song to be doing what I want the next few days:

1.) Tomorrow I have a lesson with Mr. Osadchy from 3 until 3:45. Although this is not my official audition, it will be the first time he's heard me play since I was a senior in high school, and the ONLY time he'll get to hear me play before my official audition. A good lesson tomorrow kinda takes some of the pressure off of the audition, whereas a bad lesson makes the audition all the more crucial.

2.) My friend Katie Clarke, who I mentioned a post or two ago, sang for the casting director Monday, and she loved her. So Katie sings a callback audition on Friday. I think there are a few other girls they're going to hear then as well. That's as much as I was told. Here's what I'm willing to bet: they're going to make a final decision Friday. This is a huge and very demanding role, and whoever gets it has to perform it on December 5, time is running out. If Katie pulls the best audition of her life, or something close to that, come Friday, she could find herself going straight from college to a lead on Broadway. . . . AMAZING!

that don't botha' me

So I finished my music history paper yesterday. It was a great feeling. I went straight to it after orchestra rehearsal, starting in on it about 4:00. I'd worked on it some during the day, so the big thing I needed to do was to write my conclusion (always important), title page, and then to format all of my footnotes to the Chicago style (read two entries ago and know that I LOVE footnotes, they're my new toy.)
Anyways, I finished writing the paper at 7:30. Proofread, spell-checked, done. So I decided to go to the campus center, everybody hangs out there and they serve coffee on Monday nights. I was so happy the whole time I was there. It reminded me of what if felt like to get out of the SAT. Everything is funny, reflexes are slow, and it's just ultimate relaxation. Well, after that I went to the practice room until about 11:30.
I came back to my room, and was ready to print my paper. I made a title page, and then proceeded to number my pages. I realized right then, I'd forgotten all the fancy page numbering things I'd learned on Word. The title page can't have a number, but needs to count. The first page needs the number centered at the bottom, and all the other pages need my last name followed by the number in the top right corner. I couldn't get it to do all these different numberings. For some reason it was acting up, and everytime I clicked to insert a section break, it inserted a page break. This went on until about 1:00, when I got it printed. I proudly put it in a folder and went to bed.
This morning, I was a new man! Alarm went off at 7am, which is the latest I can get up if I'm going to shower and eat before I catch my bus. Normally, when the alarm goes off at 7, I snooze button until all I can do is catch the bus in time to be less than 5 minutes late to class. And 7am should have felt extremely earlier than usual, since I was up so late, but I was just like, "Time to get up? Well, alright." I just didn't care.
I look out my window, and the sky is dark and rain is obviously on the way. I also remembered seeing a weather forecast for 30 degrees this morning. Normally, the thought of this, and the sight of rainclouds would make me want to get back in bed and just skip first class. But somehow I just shrugged, grabbed my umbrella and some gloves. *Murphy's law: Because I grabbed gloves and umbrella, the sky has been cloudless and sunny since 9 this morning, and when I got outside it was in the 60s. *
Anyways, in my first class, piano, I took this week's test early. He always lets me take the tests on Tuesday so I don't have to go to class on Thursday. Well, I didn't know what was coming this week, but after I'd played the test, he was like, "Okay, you're all done." And I was like, "So, I'll just see you a week from today then?" and he got this big grin and said, "No, Sam. You're done with the piano class. I just gave you the next three weeks' quizzes and you did fine."
So I'm done with piano. Forever. That's weird. For the first time in 12 years, I am my own boss as far as piano is concerned. I'm officially a piano grown-up. Perhaps now that I'm not constricted by 'the system' I'll discover that there's a brilliant composer shut up inside who can now surface and show the brilliance that I truly have. hahahahahaha
Then I go to music history, I turn in my paper. He hands me back the concert report I turned in a week ago. Grade? A+. Too bad the paper counts like 7x more than the concert report.
He then announces to the people who didn't turn in their papers today, that there is a penalty for being late. That in itself is generous, most professors (esp in a 3000 level class) would not accept long-term assignments later than the due date. So we're expecting that he'll say that one day late is good for half credit, or at best a letter per day. But get this, he's grading the paper on a 4 point scale (A=3.1-4, B=2.1-3, etc.) Well, he's taking 2/10 of a point per 24 hours!! Santa Clause is not as generous! Somebody could turn this in four days late and still get an A! That's awesome.
In other news: Tomorrow is the final orchestra concert of the semester. We meet for the last time this Friday. After that we're done. That means I can leave town at noon on the day before Thanksgiving. Not that I'll be in a hurry. There's really no benefit to getting to Abilene by 3 as opposed to 5, accept perhaps Ft. Worth rush hour in the afternoon.
Thursday night (Friday morning) I'm going to see the 12:02 am showing of the new "Harry Potter" movie. I'm such a nerd. Only a few months ago, when the 6th book came out, and I got a kick at how so many people in "Sound of Music" were talking about it and this and that. I never intended to become a fan, I just wanted to know why there was such a craze. I borrowed the first one, and just four weeks later, I owned all six and had read them all. This is the first release of any of the Harry Potter books/movies since I've crossed over, and therefore the first time I get to partake in the excitement and festivity, so I'm excited.
Oh, and I just figured out my schedule for finals week. It's way better than anything I ever got at Pepperdine. Finals start Monday, December 13. I'll only have three finals to take, because dead week is when my Aural Skills and PE finals, as well as my cello jury are. So on Tuesday, the 14, at 11 am, I'm free to go home. I'm anxious to go to League City. I haven't been yet this semester. I've seen my parents both here and in Abilene but I haven't seen Marla and Josh's new apartment; I wanna see my friends, my dog, old teachers and stuff.
Oh, one more thing. There's a girl named Katie Clarke who grew up in Friendswood. She's a singer/actress and musical theater major at Sam Houston. I know her through United Players, the theater in Friendswood where I've done shows the last five summers (!whoa! that's a long streak!) and she's done several there since she was in high school. Anyways, she's in New York. She was personally invited by the music director and casting director of "Light in the Piazza" to audition to replace the leading actress who is leaving in a little over three weeks. She was supposed to audition today. Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for Katie.
And Mom, Dad, please realize that if Katie has a leading role on Broadway this spring, I intend to use my "graduation New York trip" at that time. Maybe even if she's not, I'll do that anyways.

Things that would seem obvious, but you have to go to college to learn; Part 2

Far-sighted squirrels can get hit and killed by bicycles. I have seen this. It sounds awful (and it really is) but I could not help but roaring with laughter when I saw this happen.

edit: 11/15/2005 - I did not run over a squirrel on a bicycle. I was walking to the music building, about 20 feet behind the bicycle. I was a witness.

Things that would seem obvious, but you have to go to college to learn; Part 1

Professors prefer footnotes or endnotes over parenthetical documentation. Footnotes are great, I love making them. If I could make them on blogspot, I would. As soon as I get my current e-mail address feeding into Microsoft Outlook, my e-mails will have footnotes too!!!

laundry listing

Things to get done real soon:
1.) Find out when Thanksgiving is.
2.) Find out when dead week is.
3.) Find out if the jury is the week after Thanksgiving or dead week. Or are they the same?
4.) Finish the music history paper (6 days left.)
5.) Finish the history paper (12 days left.)
6.) Write the SATB quartet for aural skills (8 days left)
7.) Find out what dates my family is out of town over Christmas so I can get work dates at Space Center.

This list is so much better than the one I had a few weeks ago. Mid-terms went fine, even though I don't even know the grades for all of them yet. My music history paper is coming along fine. I've made an outline, and started writing. I'm afraid that when I take out the research information that's not relevant to my topic, I'll fall short of the 7-10 page requirement, so today or tomorrow, I will hopefully go to the library and get some more information within my topic.
Thanksgiving is not all that far away, and when it gets here, I think the timing will be just right. I'll be somewhat tired from all the exams I've taken and all the papers yet to be written, but nothing more than a four day weekend will cure. And that's just the right amount of time that I can rest up, but not get lazy before my jury and finals.

Procrastinators Unite........tomorrow

I've recently started a facebook group with the same title as this entry. If anyone reads this who goes to UNT, please look it up and join if it rings true to your own study styles.
Sadly, as busy as I seem to find myself at times, I am a procrastinator. This music history paper was assigned, oh, I'd say three weeks ago. As soon as I got the assignment, I immediately made an appointment with my TA for the next day, came up with a topic, and read my first one or two articles on the topic. After that, I sort of took a break from it for more urgent things. . . . or I just. . . . . alright fine, I put it off! Well towards the end of this week, it occurred to me, "Hey Sam, that paper's due on the 15th. That's like, getting really close."
So today, from the moment I got out of bed, until about 3:00, I only let myself out of the room to rotate the laundry loads. The rest of the time I was on databases through the UNT library, researching my topic and making notecards. I then went to the library for about an hour, for a bit of further research and to do some xeroxing. I feel like I now have all the research I need for the paper.
My goal for tomorrow is to write a thesis, an outline, and to read this massive Chicago style manual and figure out how I'm going to cite the stuff in my paper.
It was so sad. Me sitting up here in my room all by myself. I remember at one point, stopping to rest my eyes and stretch, looking at the clock and thinking, "I've been at this for two hours. I've found and read three articles, and have good and useful notes from all three that I can use in the paper. That's enough for one day. I've done good." And then the other voice in my head says, "Yeah. That's a full day's work . . . . if you'd started two weeks ago! You've still gotta play catch up."
Blehhhhh!!! Why do I procrastinate? I don't remember being lazy any during the last three weeks, but then again I can recall several occasions I remember feeling 'relaxed' and 'un-pressured', those were probably the times when I probably should have worked on the paper. But I mean, it's not like I can look back and say, "Well, if I hadn't watched TV...." because I haven't. Or "Well I took a nap for no reason at all last week." Because all my naps come on days following late-night study sessions, they're never extra sleep for the sake of passing time.
How many papers will I have to write before I'll work on it beyond the week it's assigned, and the week leading up to the due date, leaving an empty whole in the middle where the paper goes untouched? How many times will I say all these things to myself before I start working on a paper three weeks before it's due, just because I simply have the time to do so?
I remember a Jerry Seinfeld sketch where he talks about how everyone is really two people. You have night guy and morning guy, and they hate each other. Every morning, the morning guy curses the night guy for staying up so late, and swears that he will go to bed on time that night. But by night time, night guy is in control and could care less what morning guy feels like. Well, that's the way I am with papers. Here I am, having missed the last two weeks I could have been working on the paper the whole way, and I'm cursing that guy who set it aside.
Well, it's getting late, and having spent most of my day on a paper whose due date is quickly approaching, I feel a strange sympathy for the morning guy. So, in honor of the morning guy, I'm gonna get offline right now and go to sleep.
(course it's already 11:30. Guess the real favor would have been to get home tonight, not touch the computer at all, and go to bed at like 8.)

I'm gonna need some summer school

Oh man!! I just got done registering for all my classes for the spring semester. It's good that I've taken a good look at my degree plan(s) and see just how much I have left to do. As I consider auditioning for music festivals, I think about (a) how much does it cost? (b) is there a teacher there I want to study with? (c) can I get in? (d) does it have a good reputation? etc. etc. But now I have this one: (e) how in the world will I ever graduate without some summer school?
When I transferred credits from Pepperdine, I lost some ground, and I'm feeling it now. I transferred enough to still be a sophomore, but not as much of a sophomore as I would have been if I still had all my units! See, at Pepperdine, I went above and beyond the unit requirements of the school (as all music majors must do everywhere to graduate in 4 years.) Then when the transfer thinned out my credits, it just made me a regular sophomore. Then this semester, I kind of took a light load simply because I last pick of the classes and it was all new and everything. So, on paper, I've just kind of been coasting for three semesters, even though in real life, I've been busting my butt to get classes taken. So, here are the courses for next semester:

MW 9-'50. Theory IV. This one's only a two unit class (instead of 3), why do they do that? Isn't it supposed to be really hard? That makes me nervous. But, when I finish this class, I just have my theory elective before I'm DONE WITH THEORY!! I do like theory, but in looking at my degree plan, it'd be nice to be through with something.

TR 10-'50. Aural Skills IV: Just the sort of one unit "lab" that goes with theory. This is my last semester of aural skills. What's that? Something else to be done with? Oh, if only the whole list were this good!

TR 12:30-1:50. American History, up to 1865: 3 units. I'm in the one that goes from 1865 to present right now. It'll be weird to continue by learning what happened all before that stuff.

MW 11:'50. Principles of Music Study: 2 units. Fancy name for "the class that is a prerequisite for every music education course you'll ever have to take." I'm going to be a music ed major!!!! Am I nuts for adding a second major nearly 1/2 way through (I use "1/2" loosely)? You bet!! Am I going to be a nut who is starving when he's 30 because he got a performance degree and still hasn't won an audition? NO WAY!!

W: 4:30-6. Chamber Music. One unit. It would appear, for once, that the music department has finally come up with an ensemble where you almost get the same credit hours that you spend in the class. Don't be deceived. the 90 minutes we meet for is simply the departmental. The chamber group I'm in will schedule about 5 hrs/week of practice time on our own. Yes, 6-8 hours of practicing/rehearsing a week, one unit of credit. See why it's hard for a music major to get ahead?

MWF: 2:15-4:05. Symphony Orchestra. Time and again, the highlight of my days. I love being in this group!

MWF 10-'50. Brass methods. Apparently, one semester of trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, and euphonium all at once, and I'll know enough to be a band director! one unit

TR 8-9:20. American Government. 3 units. I caved. This was the last class I signed up for. I tried my best to avoid the 8am class. I've got 8am class 5 times a week this semester, and it's just not okay by me, especially when it's so cold in the morning. But it came down to the fact that anything else that was open later in the day is something that would easily transfer from a community college, and looking at the degree plan, I need to keep that option open as long as possible. This is one that does not transfer from anywhere else, and I needed more units, because I just can't spare any empty space in my schedule right now.

Well, that brings us up to 14 units. I will also be taking private violin lessons next semester for one unit (which will make 15.) That will be added as soon as my "piano proficiency" becomes official. By the way Marla, I'm bringing your violin up to Denton after Christmas break. Hope you don't mind. I don't think you will, considering it's been in my room for the last 6.5 years. But don't worry, according to UNT, one semester of private violin and I'm good enough to teach it. So if you ever want to play violin, I'll be qualified to teach you! hahahahaha. Does anyone else see humor in that?
Then, of course, there will be private cello lessons. As for what kind, it's still up in the air. I audition for the music school in four weeks. If I get in as a performance major, then I'll be in 3-unit lessons. If I get in as concentration, I'll be in 2-unit lessons. If I have a terrible audition and remain on a secondary basis, I'll be in 1-unit lessons. So, by total course load for the semester could wind up being anywhere from 15-18 units. Even with any of those, I'll still be in the class for 27.5 hours/week. Then on top of that is all the studying that comes with any 18-unit load, and the practicing that comes from being in performance-level lessons, and secondary lessons, and two ensembles, and a methods class. So, basically, everyone, see you in May! Happy holidays, hope you all have a wonerful next 6 months. Think of me when you can.

Edit: (11/2) Assuming I do finish all of these courses next semester (in theory, I could drop one along the way if the load begins killing me) here is what I still have left to take:
General music/performance
Theory: form analysis and elective (6 units)
Lab (orchestra) : four more semesters (4 units)
Music History: 1750-present (3 units & lab); elective (3 units)
Secondary instr. (violin - 2 semesters)
science of musical sound (3 & lab)
Private lessons: four semesters (12 units)
Chamber music: four semesters (4 units)
Conducting: 1 course (2 units)
Cross Cultural music: 3 units
Junior Recital: 0 units??????
Senior Recital: 1 unit
Cello Pedagogy: 3 units

Music Ed:
Methods classes: strings, woodwinds, percussion, voice, guitar (5 units)
Teaching classes: I dunno, there's a bunch. Looks like 12 units?
upper level conducting: 2 units
student teaching: one semester

General Academics: (can we say summer school?)
Math: 3 units
Science: 3 units and lab
Social studies: 6 units
English: 3 units
Humanities: 3 units