On titles and trials

New fundraising, new job, new apartment?

The first rule of fundraising is never shut up about your fundraising so here is yours truly talking at a camera with links to donate to our upcoming performance and the formation of this super-cool new orchestra (of which I will talk more at a later date).

https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/shift-orchestra-project/campaigns/5120

And now onto the news:

Starting this fall I will be joining the faculty (part-time) as Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music!

In the summer of 2021 I experienced the Sisyphean struggle of hunting for jobs. I had the bright idea of counting the number of applications I sent out. I like to think that seeing how much I’ve accomplished motivates me to continue working. Instead, as the tally-marker passed 50 and I weathered the typical waiting period of arts-jobs (anywhere between 3 months to 2 years), I waged a seemingly losing battle against existential dread by translating Spanish short-stories and books, running (swimming?) through Wisconsin and Georgian air, and cooking time-intensive, yet delicious, Afghani potato-quesadilla things and Georgian—the country this time—cheese boats. I successfully restarted running mostly to be able to continue consuming comfort food from around the world as I refreshed my inbox again…and again…and again.

In a welcome departure, I now have potentially too much momentum. The life of working-artists does not have a reputation for being stable. Success and achievement are often suspicious visitors, strange guests in a life much more familiar with slogging through hours of practicing and studying without huge returns. A bad habit shared by much of humanity is not celebrating the milestones for fear of resting on our laurels. But I’m a professor now so…I hope you’re taking notes there will be a quiz next newsletter.

Good thing I have fundraising to keep me humble. Did I mention I’m fundraising?

In all sincerity I am looking forward to this opportunity. Teaching remains very important to me, and it is an element of my career I hope to maintain in some capacity should I ever breach the threshold into the world of professional conducting. I am encouraged, this week, in my efforts by the story of Maestra Alondra de la Parra, Mexican conductor extraordinaire who now maintains a career across three continents (and is also a mother of 2?!), and who, you guessed it, also started her own orchestra. Also, I went to the aquarium recently:

Just keep swimmin’ folks. And donating to our campaign!