bomligeti

Hey-o, I applied to graduate school for composition this year and have been hearing back from schools (rejections included!). I know as much as I can about the schools I have been accepted at or have had interviews at/am still waiting to hear about final decisions. I was wondering if anyone on here has had experience with any of these programs or could give me a sense of the overall level of program. (Again, I did apply to these schools for a reason but I thought this community might be able to offer a bit more insight into each.) I sincerely apologize if this is not the correct thread or these kinds of posts are frowned upon. I recently joined this community and would appreciate any feedback. The schools are: MM at University of Toronto, The Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins), and The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and PhD at The University of Chicago. Thanks for your time and insight! -bomligeti

Why are you all feeding this fire? Kefienzel clearly doesn't know what he (assuming a guy just because) is talking about... unless, let's turn this on him: can you cite other examples (OTHER THAN CAGE) of music you don't like from recent years? Tell us a little about your feelings towards Adams, Daugherty, Saariaho, Reich, Carter, Andriessen, Takemitsu... These are "contemporary" composers that you should check out if you don't know their works. There is a wide range of aesthetic here; I'm not trying to show you just one example of "recent" music. Please stop making such wide-ranging assumptions when you have likely listened to one CD of Cage's music and decided you dislike a "majority" of recent music. Also, take time to educate yourself and open your listening experience before posting topics like this. No one is saying you have to like new(er) music, but you do have to give it an educated and fair look. You also need to be able to back up your claims with solid citations and examples, otherwise no one will take you seriously.

I am by no means a "professional" clarinetist, but I have to respond to this post... First: a glissando "chart" for the clarinet is bogus and useless; just write the notes you would like the performer to slide to and from and they will do it. If it is over the break, they can compensate with quick chromatic and/or lip adjustments. If the performer can not do this, find a better performer. Second: your range chart is off. A Bb clarinet's lowest sounding concert pitch is a D below the E displayed above. What you have shown is the "written pitch," which doesn't change between clarinets (the actual sounding pitch does change). Third: A good performer could easily extend the range of the gliss to a high A or Bb (again with the use of the embouchure). Fourth: performing a glissando from the (4th line) D above the break to any upper note (high C - two ledger lines) is the easiest range of the clarinet within which to glissando. Fifth: Glissandos are much more difficult when descending. Finally: a glissando on the clarinet should not result solely from "half-holing"... the embouchure and tongue position should do most of the work. I hope this clears up a number of things.