A Month of School

I know I haven't written much about school yet. Probably because I generally don't like it. The first two month term is pretty dry as far as subject matter, and if I'm not bored to tears, I'm feeling overwhelmed at how much sound background my classmates know, or how unfamiliar some of these new sound mixing programs are. I've met with one professor once already who assures me that people come in with very diverse audio backgrounds, but this program is built for you to start from the ground up. And, they (the teachers) can usually tell when someone isn't getting it, and he has no worries about me. I guess that's something. I did ace my first test. Physics of Audio...ew. But I got the highest grade in the class...95%. I missed two. Honestly, I'm still even mad that I missed those since it was an open notes test. But the two I missed, I didn't have in my notes and I just flat out didn't have a clue. Better luck next time, huh?

Since school is broken down into 8 week terms, classes come and go fairly quickly. That Audio Physics test? That class is over. Even within each term, our schedule changes weekly, well, daily really. They kind of have a group of classes you'll take a term and just mix them up according to the teacher's schedules and how things are going. It works fairly well since I'm in the same drab, gray classroom regardless. It doesn't really matter what I go in there for, I'm generally in there for 2 classes a day, 3 hours each. On Monday evenings, I have a Film Theory class, but it's optional. After the first two weeks, my fellow sound students decided it wasn't very relevant to our sound program. We all agreed it could be, but the director was talk all about framing shots and camera angles, and nothing about how sound was impacting the movies he reviewed. A letter to our program director, and they agreed the Film Theory class needed restructuring, so until they could offer us something different, the class was optional. I still attend because I enjoy it. Shoot, we get to talk about the original Superman movie and everything from Charlie Chaplin to Ridley Scott (Alien). That's a fun class to me! Especially now that I don't have to take notes or take a test!

Film Theory is on Monday nights, but other classes include things like Intro To Pro Tools (the main sound program we'll use in the industry), Computer Science (ew, computer history and basic programming...I've had a lot of this before), Electronics (ew again...I don't really care about learning how to fix my VCR), Intro to Game Audio (I'm still not sure what we're getting in this one because it seems to combine Intro to Synthesis and Intro to Computers), and then we're supposed to have a hearing test or something at some point. I don't know...they really all blend together and are taught by the same 3 people. It's a lot like just going into the blah gray classroom (it SO needs decoration, but the new iMacs with Intel processors are darn cool!)...and just letting these guys whatever they feel like rambling about that day.

My teachers are actually fairly cool. Gary, is the main one so far and he used to be in a rock band (briefly) called the Payolas when he was in his 20's. He plays electric guitar, and has a background in computers as well. If you knew my Grandpa Bill, he looks a lot like Bill's old sketchy people drawings. It's freaky! Otherwise, he kind of looks like Gene Wilder playing Willy Wonka (so yeah, kinda freaky in the similarities!). Tim is a synthesis genius and worked with people in the industry who developed the first synthesizers. It's too complicated to get into, but he has a long rambling way of talking that would often put you to sleep...but you KNOW he knows a lot and is going to tell you ...at some point. I actually respected him a lot more once I found out he just got his kitty back from the Vet after paying $4,000 since she inhaled some barbed-grass that was damaging her kitty nose. I believe the kitty was Eartha after Eartha Kitt. Anyway, he and his wife are clearly dedicated to their pets. He said he was sorry it cost so much because he wished he could have bought like 2 new synthesizer machines instead, but at least he had his sweet kitty purring in his lap again. Awww! Hooray for pet lovers!

Our other teachers seem to drift in and out. For the electronics class, he's a part time teacher, and he seems like he may have been electrocuted a few times too many. But he's nice and knowledgeable as well. Then there's Bob Grieve. He's in charge of the Sound Design program and if you IMDB him, he's been on TONS of movies. One of our classes was even to watch his HBO movie "61*" directed by Billy Crystal and about Roger Marris beating Babe Ruth's home run record (in light of Mark Maguire beating Roger Marris' record). Bob won an Emmy for the sound on that movie. He's also worked on "Pretty in Pink", "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "The American President", "The Ghosts of Mississippi", and ew..."The Dukes of Hazzard" movie (i'll forgive him for working on that last one). I guess he periodically has all of the sound students watch a movie he's worked on so we can ask questions about the sounds. It was neat hearing him talk about trying to get all the sounds of a bat cracking when it hits a baseball...and how it had to SOUND like that 61st home run. I can't tell the difference (yet), but I appreciate the effort in listening to tons of bat swings.

So that's the curriculum and the teachers...there are also 8 students (plus myself) in the current term. I'll probably just give you the nicknames I have for them so far. The Canadian...the only one truly from Canada all his life, and he's the biggest Vancouver Canucks fan. He's also perhaps the youngest in our class (20, I think). He's my go-to guy for all things Canada. He totally crushed me when he said he's never seen a mountie (in red) here in all his life. So sad! Then there's the Not-So-Canadian. He's been her most of his life, but was born in Hong Kong. He's quite white and his family's from Canada, but he loves Hong Kong and can't wait to get back there so he can be a billionaire. Ok. He's worked with TV commercials previously and does a lot of DJ work on the side. He is not to be confused with the Hong Kong Canadian who actually looks like he's from Hong Kong, but moved here very young, and sounds again like a Canadian. (he's also one of the two stoners which can be a bit annoying). The Stoner is a guy who is recently from North Carolina, but orginally from Bosnia. His family left when the genocide started. He's quite talented with techno music types of things (like the Not-So-Canadian), but he's definitely US in mannerisms...and very stoner. Sigh... There are the San Diego Brothers. Two guys who got her two weeks late due to complications, but are brothers and have worked together on a lot of music production for their own purposes. They want to do it more professionally. They're pretty nice guys, and one has lent me his bike for the year since he won't be using it. Let's see...that leaves the Columbian and the Malaysian. The Columbian is also a really nice guy who has done a lot of music mixing in Columbia. He says his English is not very good, so he likes it that sometimes I can understand him in Spanish. I think he does pretty well. I would not be able to attend school in second language. The Malaysian is pretty quiet, but seems pretty knowledgeable about audio. He's in my team project, so I might get to know him better then. Oh, and I think the Canadian and Not-So-Canadian want to work on video game audio when they are done with things here. Most of the others want to mix music. The San Diego Brothers and I are more interested in movie or tv production audio (and they of course, really into music, which I could do too)

That's it. All the guys and myself. I'd guess they'd just call me "The Girl"...I don't have a lot of audio experience, but so far I'm kickin' tale on lectures and tests and learning things. It's probably because they are bored as they know a lot, but I guess I've got the academic side down. It's sort of nice to know I can still retain that side of things. I was really worried that between art fumes, and not recently using my brain at Disney, that it possibly went to mush. Maybe it's just really excited to be used again!

Hmmm...other school stuff..eh. The first day they gave us a backpack, and umbrella, and a travel mug with VFS on it (we're very branded now)..and some nice headphones. I've since switched the backpack because I hate backpacks, and somewhat the branding (it also says Adobe and HP on the bag)...but since I switched to a Disney shoulder bag, I guess that's not much different. I'm branded no matter how I look at it! (both were free) At least I'm far more comfortable with shoulder/messenger/portfolio style bags. And it sort of converts to a backpack if I need it (once I start using the bike).

hooray for school, huh?