My general direction

I think it's appropriate to elaborate on exactly what I'm doing here in Bloomington, and what my short and long-term goals are for a graduate education.

Why I'm here...

10% - I didn't know what I would do, or even want to do, if I didn't go to school. A stoner, bad-grade-getting friend once told me in high school, "Why wouldn't I go to college? It delays real life by 4 years man!" He has a point, though he was specifically talking about undergrad. In economical terms, and measuring by units of happiness (not money) I determined that the opportunity cost of continuing my education was nothing. I was giving up nothing, in my self-assessment, by continuing my education. Therefore to not go to graduate school would be to gain nothing.

20% - Specialization. My undergraduate degrees were in music and religious studies. I received them from a liberal arts school. Though I wasn't particularly in love with my school, its credentials, or opportunities, when it really comes down to it I don't think I would want to trade my liberal arts education for anything. I learned about a lot of things. I am fortunate and thankful that I had the opportunity to experience this. Being in the 21st century, I would certainly recommend a liberal arts education. However, the downfall of this is that you never get to really focus on one certain thing. That's just the nature of the beast. I am willing and ready now to specialize in something. I'm excited at the prospect of actually getting better at one thing, being able to perfect a certain craft in such a way as to measure its progress.

70% - I want to be a conductor. Right now I'm actually a trombone performance major, but I'm working on integrating it with or even substituting it for trombone. I have never really been motivated to achieve any particular employment. I have always been kind of ho-hum in regards to what I was going to "be." But over the last couple years I have been consumed by this desire to actually achieve a particular employment. Not only is it exciting, it's refreshing, because I was starting to get worried that I was mentally or personally unable to set all my focus and energy on attaining one specific achievement. So far I have been able to do that.