All right, here comes another one, and this time a course non-music students can relate to! GERM 100, or Beginner German.
Course Evaluation: MUSC 110
Okay, here comes another course evaluation, this time for MUSC 110, or Intensive Tonal Music Theory. Or something to that effect. Continue reading
Filed under Academics, School of Music
Course Evaluation: MUSC 120
Today I wrote my first university exam for MUSC 105! I think it went okay, and now I just have three more to go! Woo!
Anyway, in the spirit of more course evaluations, today I will be doing a review for MUSC 120 (History of Music I). Continue reading
Filed under Academics, School of Music
Course Evaluation: MUSC 105
Just a reminder to everybody, course evaluations are due tomorrow night. These are important, because your input will help make the course better in the future. It’s always nice to know your opinion matters :) Anyway, in the spirit of course evaluations, I am going to give an overview of my courses for anybody who might be taking those courses and stumble upon this in the future. Continue reading
Filed under Academics, School of Music
Evacuation Fail
A few days ago while I was having a class in the Music Building a few people in my class received an email on their phones saying that there was a burnt smell in the basement and would everyone please evacuate the building. A couple of minutes later, another email was sent saying it was no longer necessary to evacuate and we should disregard the email.
Although nothing ended up happening, I was left feeling disconcerted. What if there was a seriously dangerous situation and everyone really needed to be evacuated? It is unreasonable to assume that everyone has a smartphone, or that they check their email 24/7. I know people who only check their email every couple of days. And even if the few people with smartphones that got the email told people around them they need to evacuate, what of the students locked up in a practice room, ignoring their phone and focusing on their music? If the situation a few days ago had been more serious, there would be people who did not receive the message and they could have gotten hurt.
I feel that the Music Office needs a more effective way of sending urgent information to occupants of the building to avoid possible injury in the future.
Filed under School of Music
Knitting Club
Those of you who follow my blog know that I have a tendency to get homesick – I still do, and I’ll admit it. Don’t get me wrong; I love UBC. I love the atmosphere, my professors, what I’m learning, all the opportunities that are opening up to me. But up til now, I was missing the people. I miss having a huge group of friends who know me super well and seeing them every day and getting hugs all the time (I’m a huggy person but I’m too shy to ask for them here and the only hugs I’ve gotten out here are from drunk people, go figure.)
However, a few weeks back, some people on the fourth floor of my building decided to create a knitting club, and being a knitter myself, I decided to join with a friend from my floor. I went, and had the most fun I think I’ve had since I got here. These people are hilarious! I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. These people actually pay attention to me and I like being around them. Every Monday I look forward to knitting club and the way it uplifts me.
So I suppose that what I’m trying to say by this is that, it’s true, you will find a niche where you fit in. Even if you’re shy. Even if you’re lonely. It may not happen right away. But you do have to look for it; sitting in your room with the door closed won’t get you there. Join a group you’re genuinely interested in, not something you think you should be interested in. Try it out, and if you don’t like the way it feels, you don’t have to stay. And when you do find your place, well then, you’re set. :)
Edit: (Sept. 2012) there is now an official AMS Knitting and Sewing Club. Visit the website at http://knittingsewingatubc.blogspot.ca.
-XO Samantha
Filed under Campus Life, Residence
On the mend
I haven’t really posted in the last three weeks for a very good reason: I’ve had tendinitis in my wrists and hands. As a musician, this was a huge road block, and to make sure I healed up in a timely fashion, I had to forego the computer for all but homework. However, my hands are getting better now! I’ve increased my practice time to thirty minutes per day, up from twenty, and I’m hoping that by the end of December I’ll be able to play for an hour at a time.
I can’t really explain to you how good it feels to be able to play the harp again if you aren’t a musician or actor or artist yourself; playing the harp is not just something I do, or a hobby I enjoy. It is a part of who I am, my reason for being here at UBC, and what brings me joy on a daily basis. To have that taken away… was hard. The important thing is though, I’m getting better and get back to doing what I love! I like to think that it’s a good thing that I got hurt now, at the beginning of my first year, so that I can learn to take care of myself and not get hurt again later, like in third year and having a big recital coming up.
I honestly am not entirely sure where I went wrong when practicing. I warmed up, stretched, took breaks, all that stuff. What I think it must come down to is that I increased my practice time too much too fast when I arrived in September, and I must also have been playing too tensely. I’ve learned my lesson and I’m increasing my playing time very gradually and spend my time working on relaxed technique!
Filed under School of Music, Wellness
Musician’s Injuries.
Previously I made a post about how to prevent injuries in musicians. However, clearly I don’t really know what I’m talking about because shortly after that I got tendinitis. It’s been kinda sucky, but I’ve seen a doctor and physiotherapist, and I’m on my way back to being able to play for hours every day. It means I won’t be able to play with the orchestra in December which is kind of disappointing, but no concert is worth a serious injury.
For those who would like information on preventing musician’s injuries, I strongly reccommend reading Playing (less) Hurt by Janet Horvath, and The Musician’s Survival Manual: A Guide to Preventing and Treating Injuries in Instrumentalists by Richard Norris, M.D. (this one is out of print but you can get it on amazon or in e-book form).
Filed under School of Music, Wellness
Tendonitis – no posts for a while
Well, clearly I’m terrible at taking my own advice or it wasn’t very good advice in the first place. My hands have been hurting recently, and my teacher tells me that it’s tendonitis. I’ve caught it early, and I’m young, so my teacher says I should heal up quite quickly if I take it easy. Of course, that also means no texting or using the computer for a little while as well. So, no posts for a while. I wanted to write about what I did for Halloween, so suffice it to say for now that I went to a parade and went trick or treating (like the legit going to houses kind).
And yeah, I’m only a tiny bit panicked.
Filed under School of Music, Wellness
That's me! I'm a fourth year, introverted, Winnipeg-hailing, blog-writing, cookie-eating, harp-playing, yoga-doing, blanket-knitting music student at UBC. I'm always trekking around campus in my Pumas and massive black backpack, and if you spot me, come say hi! It would be nice to know someone actually reads these things!
