Thanksgiving 2012

We won't be able to come home for Christmas this year, so we went ahead and came home for an extended Thanksgiving visit. And how great it was!

Jac and I got to spend a lot of time with our awesome awesome awesome nephews, hang out with great family and our close friends, and had 4 (yep, FOUR) Thanksgiving dinners.

And for fun, we took this picture:

And there's this

Freshman Year in College: Can I get a do-over?

Let me start off by saying that I had a great time in school, especially my undergrad at Cal State Long Beach. I made great friends who I still keep in touch with to this day, I had wonderful, inspiring teachers, and generally met a lot of amazing people my first time outside of my hometown of (nice and) sleepy Davis, California. Most importantly, I had just started dating the lovely Ms. Jaclyn Wiggins--who would later become my even lovelier wife, Dr. Jaclyn Wiggins-Camacho--just six months before we started college and, fortunately for me, we went to college a mere 45 miles apart from each other.(Though, let's face it, that could be up to 3 hours away on a bad day in the Greater Los Angeles area.)

So then, some 11 years and 3 degrees later, why would I want to do freshman year (or any year, for that matter) over again?

Let me also add that I don't regret the career path I've chosen as a musician/composer/teacher, not for one second. And I've been blessed with a life so happy, fulfilling, and (knock on wood) healthy, again because of the family, friends, and wonderful people and the myriad of experiences I've known along the way.

But...

There are a few key things that I still wish I had done. I'm going to exclude the endless list of stuffs with regard to me being a composer (such as listening to more music, learning to write electronic music sooner, take even more risks, etc.). The following list has everything to do with just being more well-rounded.

• Taken more interesting/useful General Education classes, not just the easy ones.

What I would do to have taken a philosophy course or literature course that forced and encouraged me to be able to read and write and think critically. The value of making a logical argument goes beyond any particular vocation. I was so focused on just getting "the right answer" that I didn't stop to think about "how did I get here?" or "is this the best answer?" or "is there a better answer?" Oh how I wish I'd taken my education more seriously and beyond just "how can I be a great musician?"

• Emphasis again: really, truly, absolutely wished I had really learned to think critically and be able to write persuasively far more than I did (or still do).

• Minored in something practical/useful, whatever that means to you.

I'm not suggesting you minor in biology or chemistry (unless that really suits your fancy), but perhaps in economics/finance/business or computer science. Why those in particular? Musicians ultimately are entrepreneurs, during and after graduation, whether or not you're putting together concerts (or concert series'), running a group or ensemble, getting gigs or commissions, searching for funding, etc. A little business sense early on goes a long way later on. This is true of any profession, I think.

And computer science? Well, a little familiarity with computers beyond simply checking your email or surfing the web, such as being able to design your own website, can also go a long way later on, especially if you're a composer.

• Smart enough to have known to put away into a savings account as little as $10 per week.

(($10 per week) x 52 weeks) x 10 years = A decent amount of money in the bank (roughly $5200). And that's not including any interest it would have accumulated (which has ranged from as low as .8% to 4-5%) or if you decided to put more than $10 a week at any given point.

As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and perhaps these are simply the not-so-unique musings of someone "older and wiser." Regardless, I have no regrets...maybe just a wish for $5000 or so extra in the bank.

Real First Day of Work

It took a couple weeks longer than we had anticipated, but I'm finally starting my first official week teaching/conducting with the Austin Soundwaves.

A little about the program:

Austin Soundwaves is an El Sistema-inspired music program through the existing national El Sistema USA organization. It's funded through the Austin-based Hispanic Alliance for the Arts and takes place at East Austin College Prep.

The program provides quality music education to an eager community that may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in the arts. Students begin in the 4th grade and, for the first time, go through the 9th grade, studying winds, strings, brass, percussion, and piano. This is the first year we're offering music theory and we're hoping to expand to an AP Music Theory prep course. When Austin Soundwaves finally expands (as planned) to K-12, additional courses (such as a full-fledged AP Theory Course, composition, and the like) will be added, which will make Austin Soundwaves the largest El Sistema program in the United States.

Wish me luck!

Canada!

More specifically, Vancouver, BC.

My wife and I just returned from a lovely weekend in the North Northwest. The weather was beautiful and the people were friendly.

No, really. Really friendly.

Canadians are said to be the nicest people. They really are! The ones we encountered were polite, always understanding that we didn't understand their way of paying with a credit card, and seemed genuinely interested in our small talk responses.

The Olympics

The one time every four years that I watch swimming, gymnastics, track and field, diving, et. al. with the same fervor that I normally watch football, baseball, basketball and golf.

GO USA!

Good News!