Unpredictable as the weather...

I now comprehend 80% of the volatility of the weather here in Boston. Literally, the weather is seasonal in a daily basis. 2 days ago, the temperature was about 0oC. Then yesterday, it shot up to 17-20oC and raining - like in a tropical climate. Today, the weather went back to 0-5oC... no wonder more and more ppl are getting sick...

Oh yeah, the recording session went well! I just had 2 takes and was done. But cos the trumpet player went first, so we had to wait for our turn... by then, it was 430am liao. By the time we finished our parts (piano and harp), it was 5am. So I decided to stay back to listen to the rest of the recording... so by the time I head home to sleep, it was 630am!! haha... took an hour's nap and started the day at 9am! whee!!

Next week is Thanksgiving break. A week after thanksgiving, it's FINALS! Looking back, I've really learnt a great deal in every way - Musically, technically, culturally. My harp skills has definitely improved, though I won't say it's a big step ahead. The harmony classes made me finally go "Orrr.... Aha...." after years of playing various chord progressions but not knowing the theory behind it. I've more understanding on MIDI and acoustics in Music, and the players in the music industries, whether is it performance or manufacturers. All in a semester. And this is when I've not get into my major yet...

I just attended a meeting initiated by the Chair of the Music Synthesis major today. There's gonna be a major revamp in the syllabus of the Music Technology Department. MP&E and Music Synthesis are splitting up! 4 new recording studios are expected to be ready by the next semester and most of the courses have been changed. As Kurt (the Chair) described, despite having some overlapping in the tools used by both MP&E and Music Synth majors, the way the tools are being used by both majors are quite different. MP&E majors use tools to enhance other ppl's recording and production, whereas Music Synth majors use the same tools to create new sounds for their own performance and application! Apparently, the department have been trying to make these changes for the past 15 years, but it finally got realized next semester! and Yippee!! I'm gonna be the first batch experiencing that change. Pros and cons, but what the heck, I've been through many first times and I LOVE being FIRST! =) Things seem to be more and more exciting in Berklee! And boy am I glad to major in Music Synthesis.

The result of the application into the major will be out tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get in. Seems that every semester there are hundreds of applicants but only 40 are accepted. That's about 75% of failure rate!

I initially wanted to do a dual major, in Music Synthesis and Performance. But as I build my schedule, the more I find that I should dive deep into what I want to do. Focus. Concentrate. Furthermore, I'm dying to wanna get back into the society and showcase my capabilities. 6 months may sound short, but it's good enough to come up with something great, especially in such a fast-paced world. I just hope I'll be able to work out what I wanna do and at the same time build my portfolio while I'm still in Berklee.

And Berklee is indeed a fantastic place to be in to do just that. The reason for the high dropout rates is not because the school sucks, but it's because the school provides such practicality that most students could figure out what to do even before they complete the education there. They just wanna get out of school life, dive into the society and show what they have under their belts... Kudos to Berklee.