Day 8, CvA Orientation...

Sheesh where do I even start? Well, this morning was the beginning of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam new student orientation week. I was very much looking forward to having some of the many foggy details about my stay finally cleared up. Alas, I left, yet again, with more questions than answers. For starters, our student ID cards were again not yet ready, meaning we did not have access to practice rooms or lockers. Then, I was met with the decision of weather to follow the classical or jazz orientation programs, as the two were clearly separate and took place at the same time. Naturally, since I am first and foremost studying composition, I decided to follow the classical track and pick up the jazz info later. But, naturally, I was still listed as a jazz composer (well, jazz arranger actually...) on all of the Conservatorium's paperwork. Nevertheless, I went to the first few events with my classical colleagues, and then later flipped over to the jazz program.

Durring all of this, I received an email from the head of the jazz percussion department alerting me that I was to contact my teacher regarding scheduling a lesson time. Lesson? Time? Teacher? This was all completely new information to me, especially since I was fighting so hard to switch my declaration to classical, I had just about totally given up on jazz altogether. Anyway, I am to study with Lucas van Merwijk, who I found out after a little searching, is quite a big deal. He has received several Dutch and international awards for his playing, especially in the realm of latin jazz (ironically, or maybe intentionally, my area of most noticeable weakness). When it came time for the ensembles to be divided out, I was placed in a group that already had a drummer, since I was on the paperwork as being an "arranger". After speaking with the director, we decided it was best to just sit out and continue to fight the uphill battle to repair my schedule.

On the plus side, I did get to hear a few student ensembles perform today, including the trombone ensemble (22 of them, and it wasn't even offensive!), an alumni jazz trio (which I actually found artistically insulting, but the performers were defiantly very talented), and a few chamber groups. The caliber of performers, at least the ones displayed today, far surpasses any student ensemble I can recall hearing from any school back in the states. I am clearly way out of my league, and I am currently feeling that my presence here is not only plagued by a clerical error, but perhaps because of one. Most of the students at the Conservatorium are from outside the Netherlands, and more than half of the applicants were denied admission. The head of the classical department even went so far as to claim that 92% of graduates are gainfully employed by their music alone withen a year of leaving the Conservatorium. I have never even heard of another school using EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS to promote themselves, let alone with such impressive numbers (if they indeed be accurate). Long story short, I'm playing with the big boys now, and I am going to have my work cut out for me...