I mentioned in my last post that I had accepted a second part-time position to teach theory and aural skills. With the need to re-invest in my commitment to aural skills and the feeling that I have lost my edge, I have decided to take the plunge away from the traditional materials that I have used for years and select Gary Karpinski’s Manual for Ear Training and Sight Singing as the textbook for my courses. I have long admired Professor Karpinski and think that enhancing my teaching with his approach to aural skills a refreshing challenge at this stage of my career. I’m curious to hear from anyone who has used his texts in their classes.

To help with my transition, I am currently in the process of spending my EMF days in the local university’s well equipped music library poring over journal articles and re-acquainting myself with his influential pedagogical text. In the process I am also reading some of the articles about music therapy curricula with the vague notion that I might be able to provide something more to the therapy students at Marvyille and perhaps to the theory/therapy communities as a whole. (Besides, given the fact that theory jobs outnumber composition jobs somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 1 or more, it certainly can’t hurt to work up the chops and pedagogy is my only research passion.)

At some point, I might also try to write some music, though I think it will be more natural to return to this once the rhythm of the school year returns in just about 7 weeks. I do tend to write more and better music when I’m the most busy anyway!