You may have noticed that the blog has been quiet since the middle of September. This past summer, I made the decision to head back to university to finish my degree, and in September, I started at Carleton University. Between university in the mornings, my students in the evenings, and my life outside of music, the blog had to take a back seat for a bit.

Today is the last day of the fall reading week, and I figured that it would be a good chance to reflect a bit on my experience so far.

Here are some of the positives that I’ve taken away from becoming a student again.

1. I’m studying music that I wanted to study, but in the past, I never could find the time. It’s been amazing to dig deeper into my sound, technique, and my overall musicality, but I’ve been especially enamoured with classical saxophone repertoire for a while now. It’s a great chance for me to explore that rep with some guidance. I’ve been chipping away at Glazunov at the moment, and with performance dates in the spring, it’s given me some urgency to get that piece (and my alto saxophone playing) together. Also, this includes the saxophone quartet that I’ve been playing baritone saxophone in – we’re working through some great classical rep, which has made me think about my tone production differently than I would have in the past.
2. My approach to school has changed. At 35, my approach to life is very different than it was at 18 (when I started my post-secondary journey for the first time). I’m more willing to take risks in the classroom. I’m not afraid of not knowing the answers. In turn, I’m less concerned with what the marks are, or if the content will be on the exam, and more concerned with internalising the material that is being presented. It’s also put me in a position to reassess my thoughts, and opinions. I have found that I have been much more open to others’ ideas than I would have been when I was younger.
3. The university system is not built for people who have commitments outside of its walls. This has been a tough one to navigate – applications, scheduling, course expectations, the university system is built for students coming out of high school. I don’t blame them, that’s their main demographic, but it’s interesting to see how rigid (and inefficient) the system can be, especially when coming from life outside of academia.

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Through this half semester, I’ve had a blast so far. There’s so much material that I can’t wait to explore, and I’m planning for so many exciting performances, and projects over the next few years!