learning ----> ready to graduate?

So today I've been having one of those thinking days that I think come all the time, but often when one is about to embark upon something new...that for me is life after graduation...after my school days are over, after every moment is planned around semesters, spring breaks, and assignments...when what I do is not graded, but is gathered into what we call our "reputation".

Today I've been wondering if I am ready, that is prepared for life, to graduate. Dr. Jackson asked me today what I thought of these past four years and in responding, I started wondering to myself whether or not I was satisfied with what I had learned.  When I first came to school I believed that going to school for music would transform me into some amazing, superhuman musician who knew a whole lot and could play absolutely anything...this is not the case. On the brink of graduation, I finally realize that going to school is just and introduction to a lot of things that would have taken you a while to stumble upon without somebody else's help. (I realized this before today but I'm just having a day)

So anyway this is what I've learned:
Never make excuses or justify mediocrity because of your age or lack of experience or because you are  a "student". You may not have learned these things yet which supposedly makes it ok that you do not know or do not these certain abilities but how long will it be "ok".  School is like a little safety net...we use it to say that we are trying things out or I'm a beginner or I'm just learning but after that is over...what do you have to say? I'm sorry, I just graduated...I haven't been in the real world long enough..NOPE. No time for excuses...if you don't know something just learn it...spend the tedious time now instead of waiting until you graduate or move to whatever that next thing is to decide to sit down and really shed...(this applies to more than music BTW). I am no longer an excuse maker....also
Don't feel bad because you can't do something or because you don't know...Just figure it out immediately....

bye...and i know people don't really read these things...but whatev...i'll read it....HmmPH! Off to go shed...happy practicing...

Some things i want to do in my life

So...i haven't done this blogging thing in a very long time. I was reading George Walker : Reminisces of an American Composer and Pianist  ( first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in Composition 1996 - look him up) and I was reading about all of the things he's done and I decided to write a list of kinda specific things that I want to do at some point in life.

- Get a Fulbright fellowship
- Get a Macdowell Colony Fellowship
- Get a Guggenheim fellowship
- Live in another country
- Study Alternative Medicine, Nutrition, and Culinary Arts in another country
- Have a garden with fruit, flowers, and vegetables
- Teach an aerobics class
- Compose for a film (films)
- Perform my own music

of course there is more like general stuff like play music and write music and whatever but these are specificish things.

Also, I can't wait until school is over. I decided I'm going to start doing fun stuff. YAY!
I'm also a really bad blogger, i never write anything dreadfully interesting for anyone else to read but whatever. I read it and it's for me...so bye :-)