Forget Sport, Aussies love the Arts
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2.7 million Australians went to the Theatre, 3.6 million to an Art Gallery, 4 million to a popular music concert and 10.4 million to the cinema. Chuck in 1.5 million to a classical music concert and 1.6 million to dance performances, and 2.7 to musicals and opera, and you're beating the two most popular sports in Australia in almost every category - 2.5 million for the Australian Football League, and 1.5 million for Rugby League.
We are a cultured lot after all!
I'm in a difficult position. After confirming within myself that I was going to accept the offer of the Music Studies major of the Bachelor of Music, I haven't received the offer. I'm not sure as to whether this is a mistake on my behalf, or a mistake on the uni's behalf. It's about a week late at the moment - and others in my position have received their offers.
I have a deep fear that I might not receive an offer, and will be stuck with nothing to do for a year. It will be too late for me to apply for any formal uni course within this state (or this country), which basically means taking a year off to work full time. I might be able to change tack, and apply to do an online uni course via correspondance... but it would be in something like IT or web design - which I am slightly interested in.
But by doing that, am I admitting failure? Having completed this advanced diploma in classical music, am I to turn my back on my dreams and face reality? I could say that the last three years have been a waste... but I know they haven't, because I've learnt so much, and have made so many good friends.
Maybe I will find out on Monday that it was the uni's mistake, and that I can rock up on Tuesday to enrol. I just wish that it had arrived already. Would make life so much easier.
I really don't blog as often as I should, but at this point in time, not a whole lot is happening.
Just before Christmas, I took a break from playing - a couple of weeks. Then on New Years Day, I started playing again - my resolution to practice more this year. I've started off lightly, only doing an hour a day on scales. This week, I started adding some etudes. I decided that I didn't really want to work too hard, but at the same time, build a solid foundation. So I decided to take a step backwards and learn some Wohlfart etudes. I never had any etude studies before I started at uni, and went straight to Kreutzer. This way presents me with a chance to learn some studies that I almost certainly will be getting my students to learn.
I'm also thinking about learning a new piece - something easy that I haven't done before. The Bach Double Violin concerto. Strange as it sounds, I have never learnt this piece. That will be nice... and I can learn both parts. So if the opportunity ever comes up to play this somewhere, I know it, and not have to learn it from scratch.
I've applied for a few jobs, and i'm hopeful of getting them. I'm in need of some lessons, but I'm paying for them myself this year, so the sooner I get a job, the sooner I can start my lessons.
More entries: February 2007 December 2006
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