Tag Archives: third year

April 14, 2014 · 4:27 pm

One Recital Down

Last Saturday, I performed in my first solo recital as a part of my third year course requirements. I have to say, leading up to the performance I was quite nervous and very stressed out, and I felt like there was no way I’d be ready in time. But, thanks to practicing performing for the other harp students at studio classes, recording myself, and visualizing the recital, the whole thing really well.

Somehow, by the time I got on stage, I wasn’t even nervous anymore. Well, hardly, anyway. I made some mistakes, but that’s pretty normal. I think I dealt with them well, and I played a lot of parts really really well, and that’s more important than a couple of little errors. I’m really proud of all the hard work I put in and I managed to pull off a great performance of a very difficult set of pieces.

My parents flew in from Winnipeg for the weekend to watch me perform, and we did some Vancouver sight-seeing. (I finally went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge! It’s pretty awesome, you should go if you have a chance.) They also fixed the lamp in my apartment and my mom mended my stockings for me, heh heh.

A lot of my friends came to watch me perform as well, although there was one small glitch; there is an elderly woman who attends nearly everyone’s recitals, and she takes it upon herself to hand out programs before the performances. What I didn’t know, backstage, was that she was keeping everyone outside because she thought I wasn’t ready for them to come in! There I was, thinking, “It’s five minutes before my recital, why is no one here?! Have I been forsaken by all of my friends?!”

Of course, it worked out. I’m very happy with how much I’ve improved since arriving at UBC, and I’m very lucky to have so many people who came out to support me. Now I get to take a break from practicing, and then start planning the program for my final recital next year!

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August 20, 2013 · 2:23 pm

On Entering Third Year

In case you haven’t been looking at your calendar recently, OH MY GOSH THERE ARE ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS. Part of me is crazy excited for Imagine Day and all the cool stuff I get to do this year and seeing my friends again and being back in Vancouver and the other part is taken aback by how fast four months went by and sad that I’ll have to leave my friends, family, and boyfriend for several months once again.

In the midst of this swirling muck of emotion I thought I’d write down a few thoughts about entering my third year of my degree.

  • Where the heck did the time go? I feel like I just moved into first year residence. Now you’re telling me I’m halfway done?
  • I’m halfway done?!?! This means I only have two more years left before entering the real world and leaving behind this campus and the friends I made here?? So not ready for that. Not ready to think about it. Moving on to the next point.
  • I’m excited to be doing more courses that I’m enthusiastic about taking. At this point in my degree, I get to focus on playing my instrument and taking electives that interest me.
  • I feel kind of like a grown-up mentor person. Then again I don’t really have that many people to mentor so that also feels kind of irrelevant.
  • I’m feeling more responsible. I plan to take on a lot more extra-curricular activities this year (including being a club executive!) so I’ll have to step up and make sure I handle them all!
  • I’m excited to take advantages one of the best opportunities UBC has to offer: Go Global. If everything goes according to plan, next February I’ll be on a plane to Belgium!
  • I feel like I really need to experience everything at UBC before I leave. In first year I felt like I had tons of time, but now here I am two years later, and although I’ve already done a lot, I still feel like there’s a ton I want to do! Time to make a UBC and Vancouver to-do list and cross those experiences off.

Goodness, before you know it, I’ll be graduating. Wait, I’m not thinking about that. Not thinking about it.

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July 2, 2013 · 4:37 pm

A Creative Year

As a third year performance major, not only do I feel kind of old, but I also don’t have to take very many classes besides my ensembles and private lessons. Believe me, ensembles and private lessons take enough time and effort on their own. So all I still need to complete my degree besides those are music and non-music electives!

First term I’ll be taking a Creative Writing course and Instrumentation (which, to my understanding, is arranging music for different instruments and ensembles). That’s actually all the “lecture courses,” as I call them, I’ll be taking first term. Hello, one-class-per-day and class-free Fridays. Excluding ensembles and lessons.

Second term I’ll be taking my final music theory course dealing with post-tonal music (not really looking forward that one…) and more German. I’ve missed German a lot since I took it in first year! So for that I’m super stoked. And, second term I will have no classes on Tuesdays and Thursday. I know, you’re jealous of my totally awesome schedule.

Another exciting possibility for this year is that I might go on a Group Study to Belgium! Those of you who follow my blog will remember that I was extremely disappointed when I discovered I couldn’t really go on an exchange. But this year a MUSIC Group Study Project was created which I’ve applied for, and if I get selected I could be going to Belgium for two weeks! If I actually get accepted for it I’ll write more about it when I actually understand the research project better.

As well, because of the way I was able to arrange my schedule, I may apply to be an usher for the School of Music Wednesday Noon Hour Concerts. It would only be a few hours per week, but it would be nice to have a bit of extra cash in my pocket. Plus my job would pretty much be to sit in on professional concerts. Not bad, eh?

Overall it’s looking like it will be a very creative year! Although I think I may get a bit overwhelmed with all the music I have to learn this year – I’ll be putting on a 45-minute recital in April – I’m really excited for third year. The only bad thing about it is that I’ll be so much closer to being done my time at UBC! I just won’t think about that. Instead I’ll dream about my trip to Belgium! :P

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