May 2006

May 29, 2006 13:00

Yay, some good news. I emailed my Theory prof and he recalcuated my grade and found he had a made a mistake and that my actual grade is an A-, much better than a B. Yeah, I still can't play violin all that well for some reason. My vibrato sounds crappy and my figers wont do what I want them to do, but yeah, I'm not giving up.

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May 26, 2006 22:11

Well, I got my grades today and I must say they were the most disappointing things I have ever seen in my life. I only got one A and that was in freakin Paideia!! I somehow got a flippin B in Music theory and all I have to say is, wtf mate? I don't quite understand, I got an A or A- on ever single test, I got 3 A/A- on quizes (two B+'s), and basically got an A or A- on the majority of homework (maybe at most 2 B's on homework), I didn't do great on the keyboard crap and that's what ruined my grade (believe me, it wasn't the final, at least I don't think it was), I got like C's and D's on them because A) I don't like piano and didn't practice as much as I could have (B) They don't help me understand theory and (C) on the lowest one I didn't have access to a piano over easter break because I was at home. I managed to get a B+ in Spanish, which makes me happy and mad because I got a higher grade in that than in Theory. Class Piano C+ (like I really care), and Ear Training is my lowest grade, I got a D- because I honestly stopped caring. The final grade which also upsets me is my grade in Violin Lessons which is a B+, not bad but yeah...no good for someone wanting to do performance. I'm half tempted to just quit music. I'm tired of it, sort of. I still love playing and listening.

Will I honestly make it one violin? Probably not, I suck, I really do. I'll never be as good as I want to be, as good as I should be considering I want it to be the rest of my life. Can I honestly expect to get a job? No, because I won't be good enough either for teaching or playing professionally. You have to audition for every position, I could be an excelllent teacher and not get the job because I wouldn't put on a good enough recital every year. I'm not evening being pessimistic here, I'm being realistic. I'm just not good enough at music, end of story. I started violin late, I started lessons late, I started caring late, I did just about everything wrong on the path to be an excellent violinist. I could of course be a mediocre violinist, there are many of those, and most of those end up working at McDonalds for the rest of their lives. Do I honestly want my life to have a mediocre existance? Actually, I don't think I have a lot of choice in the matter, I'm just a mediocre person, I guess I come a dime a dozen. I'm a 2nd violinist, I let my nerves get the best of me, I can't play with piano and I can't play piano, I'm bad with people, I'm bad a being alone, I never made it into All-State Orchestra, I give up too easily (Concertmaster Audition), I'm obviously not as good academically as I thought I was, I'm somewhat arrogant (I have no reason to be, I'm not good at anything, obviously!!), and finally, I want to do things that I'm bad at. In conclusion, what the heck am I doing!!!

I am serious about what I'm about to say: If I'm not at Luther after this summer it could be for three reasons 1) I decided to stay permanently on as a staff member at the Pennitentury (they tend to draw you in I've heard, my dad was going to work their for 6 months, it's now been over 26 years and he's a corporal working for Special Security) or 2) I was convicted of a Class 6 felony because I was conned by an inmate into bringing contraband (tabacoo, drugs, hacksaw blades, weapons, alcohol etc.) into the prison and I will be serving my sentence there or 3) I decided it's not worth going there if I decide that I suck at violin too much to continue in music.

Night

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May 16, 2006 16:24

So, I got my jury sheets back today. They didn't go as I expected. From my point of view my jury went very well and I thought it sounded spectacular. Actually it did, but then you add in the fact of playing with piano and you get less than spectacular intonation from the perspective of the audience. When I play alone I have excellent intonation but put me with a piano and then you've got slightly off pitches. I'm not used to playing with piano, this latest jury marks only the third time I have ever played with piano in public. I got a B for juries, which is respectable but not what I should be getting considering that I'm doing violin performance. I just don't know, maybe I should consider a different profession...

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Our Amazing Cello/Theory Professor

May 14, 2006 13:24

Here's on more for you, this is our cello Professor Dr. Eric Kutz playing some Shostakovich for your delight. I think you should read his bio as well.

Kutz, Eric
Title: Assistant Professor of Music
Office:Jenson-Noble 161 Phone:+1.563.387.1220 Email:kutzer01@luther.edu
Degree:D.M.A., The Juilliard School Interests:Cello, string methods, theory

Cellist Eric Kutz has captivated audiences throughout both North America and Europe. Since 1996, Mr. Kutz has been a member of the Murasaki Duo, a cello/piano ensemble, with acclaimed Canadian pianist Miko Kominami. Hailed by the Danbury News-Times as “perfect throughout the evening … two highly gifted musicians,” the Duo has performed throughout North America and Scandinavia, including concerts in New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen, and Oslo, and it has won recognition as one of the leading ensembles of its genre. Advocates for new music, it actively commissions new works, in addition to performing the classics. The Duo recently released its debut compact disc—featuring works of Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff—on the Centaur Records label.

The Duo has been a part of leading festivals, such as the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, the Icicle Creek Music Center, and Lutheran Summer Music, and it has repeatedly been broadcast on Iowa Public Radio’s program, “Know the Score.” It regularly performs on chamber music series throughout the nation. The Murasaki Duo is Ensemble-in-Residence at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.

For four years Mr. Kutz was the cellist of the Chester String Quartet, praised by the Boston Globe as “one of the best and brightest of the country’s young string quartets.” Mr. Kutz performed over 100 concerts during his tenure with the Quartet, and with them he gave concert tours of Switzerland, England, and Canada. The Quartet was in residence at Indiana University South Bend, and Mr. Kutz may be heard with them on the Crystal Records label.

In 1997 Mr. Kutz traveled to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow as a visiting artist, performing new chamber works by American composers. Other performance highlights include a tour of Germany and a concert in New York’s Avery Fisher Hall as part of Lincoln Center’s Mozart Bicentennial celebration. Mr. Kutz has premiered over two-dozen works, and has been broadcast live on WQXR and WNYC, both of New York City, as well as nationally on PBS television’s Live from Lincoln Center.

Active also as an orchestral musician, Mr. Kutz appeared in the section of the New York Philharmonic and is currently a member of the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago. He has been the principal cellist of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and the Juilliard Orchestra, and has performed under the batons of such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Kurt Masur, and Seiji Ozawa.

Mr. Kutz received his Bachelor of Music Degree magna cum laude from Rice University, where he studied with Norman Fischer. His Master’s and Doctoral degrees are from the Juilliard School in New York, where he was a scholarship student of Joel Krosnick. He is presently Assistant Professor of Music at Luther College. He performs on a cello by Raffaele Fiorini (Bologna, 1877).

There is also a sound link to hear Dr. Kutz and his amazing pianist wife Miko Kominami, both professors at Luther: http://music.luther.edu/faculty/kutz_eric.html. It's at the very bottom of the Bio.

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My Wonderful Orchestra!!!

May 14, 2006 13:13

Here is the Luther College Symphony Orchestra(my college orchestra) playing some Wagner for you all. This was recorded April 4th, 2006 in our very own hall.

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May 12, 2006 13:41

Oh my gosh, I had my jury today and it went SPECTACULARLY WELL!!!!!!!!!!!! I as very pleased and the music faculty seemed pleased as well. I am so happy. I also have my Orchestra Tour CD and I can't believe it's us, we sound amazing. I can't believe that I'm part of such an amazing orchestra. I can't wait to play Harold in Italy, Cuban Overture and an original piece which we will premier in Vienna. We may also have an encore piece too but I don't remeber what it is right at the moment, I think it's a piece by Bernstein. I LOVE LUTHER COLLEGE MUSIC, WE ARE SO GOOD CONSIDERING WE ARE IN THE MIDWEST IN A TOWN OF 8,000 PEOPLE. I'll put up an audio file of Die Meistersinger or a Movement of Dvorak for all to enjoy later.

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Concerts Galor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 9, 2006 19:54

So, I haven't updated in a while, opps. So, I have finals next week and then I'M DONE WITH MY FIRST YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!As soon as I get home I start work so I can pay for Vienna next year. I got the Itinerary and it looks FANTASTIC, 21 days in Vienna, 2 in Salzburg and 2 in Munich. I can't wait to go now, even if it means that I can't get a new violin, but my parents and I are going to discuss it this summer, I managed to get them to at least do that. Well, I have concert on May 20th at Luther playing Russian Easter Overture and Glitter and Be Gay by Bernstein. Then, I'm playing a concert on the 25th with my old youth orchestra. Then I'm playing another concert on the 26th in a concert organized by students and we're playing scheherazade. I need to go study now, have a great day!!

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Money...the Most Annoying Thing on Earth!!!

May 2, 2006 14:38

Well, I've been thinking a lot about violins lately. In short, I need to step up to a more professional violin. I've progressed very rapidly and I am majoring in Violin Performance and I've begun to realize that I can't do everything I want to with my violin, especially in the department of projection and power. Also, on a certain point, generally after the high B, it loses it's sweet rounded sound, but most violins do that but mine just becomes a piercing sound with not body to it. I don't think it will last me much longer. I also am in college and have no money and don't really want to work all that much while I'm here, except like 10 hours on campus so that I can have some spending money.

I spent 3 hours last night looking into grants that I may be able to get for my violin but found nothing that I could use. Although, most of the websites I found make you pay to research possible grants. I was hoping that someone here may know of a grant program in the United States. My college isn't cheap and it keeps going up every year, next year it's $30,000.00. My parents can't help me with buying a new violin, we're not rich by any means. They have house payments, car payments. They recently had to buy new cars because their old cars basically died on them, or were very close. A good violin, perhaps made by Tetsuo Matsuda is my dream, along with a good bow. However, that could cost at least $20,000.00 and my parents don't want to get a loan because we have some huge ones for my school ($12,000.00 to be exact). Luther has an excellent music program and I love it here, and most other places I could go to without having to take out extra loans are not as good as Luther in that department. Anyway, if you have any advice or wisdom it would be much appreciated.

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More entries: June 2006 • April 2006