You have no reason to know that when I first started my master's degree I was a music composition major rather than a music education major. That was in 1977. After one year I talked it over with the chair of the Music Education department and my composition professor, Dr. Martin Mailman.
After I made the decision to change majors, I again went to Dr. Mailman to deliver it. "So you took two aspirin and felt better in the morning!" he said.
NOW
I have applied for six jobs that I thought would interest me. I only had one interview. The others sent rejections before they even talked to me. Surprisingly, all this rejection did not send me into a delirious depression. In fact, it was like a weight was lifted.
Before I started this job search I decided I would only take a full time job if it were something that would be fulfilling mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, not merely financially.
Lately, the thought of going to interviews has led me to believe I have reached another two aspirin moment.
Therefore, I have decided that I will not continue looking for a full-time position. Several things have led to this decision. Not the least of these are:
- Recent calls and e-mails to the GLSEN chapter and the feeling that we are on the edge of something big – with the grant and also the request by Andy to do the Kansas City MO School District workshops.
- Why did I spend my time to be trained as a professional development facilitator if I'm going to take a job that will be a hindrance to my facilitating?
- I'm having a surge of creativity in the composition department.
I will be looking into part-time or temp work. I am drawing against my 403B to get by until I either get some supplemental income or I can start drawing social security in a year and three months.
I am also finishing up a piece that I started about five years ago. This is a piece for viola and piano based on Christmas Carols. The part of the piece that I finished five years ago is based on "Pat-a-Pan." (If you would like to hear the part of the piece that is finished, it is available at http://bratsche2.net/ounds/Pat-A-Pan.mp3. You can assess for yourselves whether you think I should just take another two aspirin.) I got the idea to make this into a multi-movement suite with all the movements based on carols that use onomatopoeia in their titles. The movement that is close to completion is based on "Fum, Fum, Fum." This surge of creativity for this second movement started when I got the last rejection e-mail and I did mot feel bad about it. Some friends have suggested self-publishing as an option, which when I was a composition major in the early 1980s didn't seem to be an option.
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD
So that is what is going on with me and my job hunt at this time. I know that I asked board members to send prayers or positive energy toward in a previous e-mail.But God (or whatever you feel controls things in life) seems to be urging me in a different direction. So I ask you to re-direct prayer and/or positive energy in that direction now.
Thanks
