The Syndicate

I received some results today that allow me to share that I have been offered, applied, interviewed, auditioned for and am to become a University Assistant* at my hometown's Faculty of Music and Theatre, where I've already collaborated as an accompanist** for the past two years and a half.

*apologies, but I never know how these terms accurately translate abroad. I think you have the ranks Instructor -> Assistant Prof. -> Associate Prof. -> Professor in U.S. academies, while ours is "Asistent" (Teaching Assistant / Assistant Lecturer / Assistant Professor / Instructor), "Lector" (Lecturer or Assistant Professor), "Conferentiar" (no real equivalent in English, so basically Associate Professor) and "Profesor" (idem).
**I've been often asked by some of you what this job means, so what I basically do, as a pianist, is to accompany students that play other instruments or singers with musical works in their repertoire that require a piano accompaniment (or a piano reduction of a larger accompaniment, say an orchestral one). Sometimes it's basically chamber music, but to them I rank as their accompanist.

It's a three-year fixed term position, for now, due to not having finished my doctorate (its current status being in shambles, pls no ask).

I wouldn't say it's something to brag about, since for one it was sort of in the books, given that I've been appreciated there both as a student and as an employee until now. Plus nobody else applied for the spot, hence zero competition. Plus plus, the weeks leading up to this have been hectic, because I've had to balance exams at music school with long rehearsals for the students' midterms and with preparing for the interview/audition (including practicing at the piano myself); I'm not entirely satisfied with how I did in regards to the latter, but it was an easy hurdle anyway, so yay? The audition had several parts and I'd give myself a light 7 for the interview, a decent 8 for the teaching demonstration (cut awfully short by the committee ugh), a light 5 for the recital because I'm an underpracticed moron and a strong "ech, those things are never a bother" on the writing subject. Somehow I passed, though, so m'kay.

The only downside is that I might have to give up my permanent position at the music school, despite my fixed-term position status, and revert to an associate there. Regulations and some other stuff, ech. It would therefore be a mere full/part time switch between school and Faculty.

Overall, in case I don't have any major plans or any fuel left in me to still pursue some other career, studies or opportunities abroad (and some might say the clock is near run out, at 28 years of age), this academic direction is likely the one I'm most comfortable taking. Piano teaching at music school is demanding, taxing, frustrating at times and hasn't really awoken in me any wild passion. This job, instead, keeps me active as a musician, I still have my ensemble for more serious stuff, I have good friends and people to relate with around and I seem to be doing a fairly good, invested job thus far. So this rank is a first step.

"Please clap."

Bravo's Sloon and Jay! I don't (or didn't) excel at either, but hope you will manage to maintain a smooth as possible sail with yours.

A Mafia of Unfortunate Events was the 100th game on The Syndicate!*

You could say we're now viable for... syndication. hyyyyyeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

*unless I forgot to add any other game. In which case ignore this post.

Yeah, I was also "bested" by a ten, which makes having the second grade in the whole county utterly insane.

Earlier this month I had to take the test for full-time professional degree (this is probably the best translation I could find of what it's called here - "definitivat" - basically a higher teaching degree/certification required to achieve within 5 years of first entering the educational system as a teacher), with a minimum grade of 8 out of 10 set as the bar for a pass. This is usually a stressful exam, because of the passing requirements and the pedagogy / applied pedagogy material you have to bury your head into and learn - which I only managed to do with two weeks ahead, to the point of mental collapse and the feeling I will fail this exam tremendously.

Then I took the exam and felt that I did well, so I felt vaguely optimistic about the results. Found out after a week that I smashed it with a 9.8/10. Ok. Granted, the grades average was overall quite high, which prompts me to believe that the evaluation was sort of lax across the board. Still.

Oooo, thirteen is it? You two should celebrate.

But yeah, happy anniversary!

John Cavil wrote:

Dom wrote:SVS-- I'm so glad that worked out for you!


I got a job! I sign the contract on Thursday.

omg! cONGRATS!!

Welcome to adulthood

We will send someone over to teach you the secret handshake

I have returned victorious from my first game on Naruto Forums.

...oh wait... this thread is for real life achievements...

I could have used it a year and a half ago, myself.

Congrats!

We still have a game to play, though.

ommmmmmmmm...g congrats!

Congratulations!

MovingPictures07 wrote:

Ricochet wrote:One-dimensional music gig amped into 3-D spectacle? What a stunning idea!

3D was hardly anything good to begin with, anyway, except for maybe Hugo and Godard's Goodbye to Language.

Figured you'd like that. :P

3-D was always one of those things that was awesome in theory that never worked that well in practice until recently, in my opinion.

As awesome as Kraftwerk was last night and deserving of kudos to me, what I'm equally excited about is that I got to spend time with bea from Thursday afternoon until just an hour or so ago.

That's a good rendez-vous, can't argue with that.

One-dimensional music gig amped into 3-D spectacle? What a stunning idea!

3D was hardly anything good to begin with, anyway, except for maybe Hugo and Godard's Goodbye to Language.