Posts tagged with “university”
It’s done!
Posted at 2:43 PM
An hour ago, I finished the last exam of my degree. The temptation now is to fritter away the free time I’ve got, but I’m determined to do something useful. I’m producing a couple of albums for a couple of choirs (one which I’m in, another which I’m not), and am hoping to (digitally) record my final composition with some better virtual instruments than my own. There’s a potential concert to organise music for, and some arrangements to work on for the choir as well.
Hopefully, with all that music going on, I’ll find time to do something with my blog as well. Like finish those NWA posts off. There’s one that I almost finished, then coursework insanity began!
But for this afternoon, I think I might just relax with the West Wing. It’s not frittering away time – I don’t remember whether I’ve ever been so intellectually challenged by a TV show (in an entirely good way!). For those who know about these things, I just watched the first episode with Santos in.
I’ll write soon, I promise :)
Terra Incognita
Posted at 7:41 PM
“During the flight I saw for the first time with my own eyes the earth’s spherical shape” – Major Yuri Gagarin: 13th April 1961
See her then swing through space, another moon
Wrapped in a shining singleness, an Earth
That no division knows nor count of time,
Nor name for war and peace, dying and birth:
See her with mountains, but no barriers,
Countries, but countries by no owner claimed,
Continents linked in passionless embrace
Neither by greeds nor loyalties inflamed.
If such the bright impersonal wanderer -
No guarded frontiers, no jealous dates -
Such too the unknown Earth on which we walk,
Hid by our map of human loves and hates.George Rostrevor Hamilton
Terra incognita, a setting of the above poem, was my final project for studio composition this year. The brief merely stated that some form of live electronics be used; I used a vocoder to process the (spoken) voice with a synthesiser. It’s not perfect: the copy of the poem I used to record the text had an extra “d” after “an” in the second line (so yes, I do say “and Earth” by mistake), and the drum parts start off pretty bland and really should have had more work done on them. Apart from those minor points, I was reasonably pleased with this – particularly as the majority of it was done within 24 hours! It’s quite stereotypical of a particular genre – nothing groundbreaking, but at least it’s listenable to (I think).
Music
Posted at 8:46 PM
Thought I’d show a little of what I’m actually doing with my degree. This is a piece of music I wrote this week – and when I say this week, I mean that I started writing it on Tuesday and have only had eight or so hours to work on it. The recording isn’t great, it’s quite stylised, the timpani sounds even more out of tune than normal and the ending is pretty rubbish. All that said, I was reasonably happy with it.
The piece is called “Dentetsuteki Kawa”, which was my attempt at translating “Legendary River” into Japanese, using a combination of Google Translate and Wikipedia. Don’t ask how I got the name, because I’ve since forgotten and Google Translate tells me my name doesn’t make sense. So if someone can transliterate (into Romaji) “ä¼èª¬ã®å·” I would be most grateful. Until then, this name sticks. (The last bit is “no kawa”, I know that much.)
Edit: The piece is now officially called “Densetsu no Kawa”, and I’ll edit the score to reflect that once I get a chance. MP3 file updated.
McHine
Posted at 2:15 PM
Somehow appropriate for the final lecture of the first year, we watched a video of a robotic bagpipe player. (With apologies for the bad pun of the title.)
Beautiful
Posted at 1:23 PM
Today, I wrote the phrase “sublimity not beauty”1 in an essay. Just as I’d finished typing, Supermassive Black Hole by Muse came on. I’m not quite sure what comment to make. From the sublime to the ridiculous, perhaps?
Currently listening to Muse – Invincible.
Advert
Posted at 10:33 AM
At the main CU meeting on Thursday, some of the hall CU leaders were asked to give an advert for the CU trip to Word Alive:
This song features Harry on guitar, then vocalists Will, Paul and Dave from left to right. (Will and Paul are my hall CU leaders, Dave and Harry help run other hall CUs.)
Oh, and directly after this, I had to give the reading.
Today
Posted at 10:26 PM
- I have been accused of accusing a female friend of collecting pictures of naked “quaffing” monks
- I wrote the first part of a new song
- I got locked out of my room for the first time this year
- I discovered another Christian in the music department
- I discussed sperm donation with a group of girls
- I went to a pub where the cider is so strong, they legally have to serve it in half-pints
It’s almost a tradition now. One of the above isn’t true…
I promise I’ll stop now.
Currently listening to Sara Garrard – Lucy in the Forest
Kilt etc.
Posted at 10:35 PM
A pity really – I managed to miss the fancy dress music department social due to getting into a conversation with the deputy warden in the senior common room (normally off-limits to mere students). So, no kilt or pink hoodie, then. (The theme was “come as you aren’t”. I’m not Scottish, or indeed a pink-wearing girl, so I had two options.)
As to which of the three is the lie, I can reveal that I have broken into the house and church (the former being my own, the latter due to the best man being late and not unlocking the church for the wedding I was setting up sound equipment for). I’ve also hacked into a library computer (the reason for this one is, er, something I’m less proud of), and I’ve never stolen clothes from Oxfam. However on the CU weekend away, a second year girl was almost certain that I had at some point shoplifted from a charity shop, at which I was horrified. (She was also quite embarrassed when I told her the truth. She can have comfort in one fact – I can’t remember who she was.)
Currently listening to Switchfoot – Living Is Simple
Post-Essay
Posted at 3:42 PM
I feel I should have started reading for my essay weeks ago – it would have been fascinating. Pity I only started yesterday and it was due in today. Lesson learnt*.
The new James Bond was really good, though if I hadn’t been told beforehand it’s supposed to be a “reboot” of the series, like Batman Begins was, I’d have potentially got confused. The film gets a positive vote from me, due to far fewer sex scenes/less graphic sex scenes than normal, plus being vaugely realistic. No super-villians plotting to take over the world with spaceships or lasers – just good old-fashioned middle-men funding terrorism.
Of course, if gritty violence and tense set-pieces aren’t your thing, it’s probably not for you. But then, Bond never would be. I’m coming round to actually like the whole franchise at the moment. I’ve never been such a fan of ridiculous, over-blown plots like the last few. This was more sophisticated. Not my ideal film, but then action never is.
The chocolate raisins were good.
Department social tonight, to which I am potentially wearing a kilt. That, or a pink hoodie. I may explain later, but I’m off to meet my cousins for coffee.
* Yeah, right.
Essay
Posted at 1:50 PM
Music
- Guillaume de Machaut – Messe de Nostra Dame
- Josquin des Prez – Missa Pange Lingua
Art
- Piero della Francesca – The Flagellation
- Giovanni Bellini – The Baptism of Christ
- Cimabue – Madonna Enthroned with the Child, St Francis St. Domenico and two Angels
- Donatello – David
Web pages
Books
- Albert Seay – Music in the Medieval World
- Peter and Linda Murray – The Art of the Renaissance
- Geoffrey Chaucer – The Canterbury Tales
Food and drink
- Coffee, now lukewarm
- Chocolate spread sandwiches
- Apples
Sunshine
- Just come out
- Uplifting
Number of words
Nine hundred and twelve – more than half way there!
Evening activities
- Finding a printer
- Photocopying student card as proof of student status
- Watching Casino Royale
- (Hopefully not) finishing essay