New thoughts

So, as I gear up to start school again after 10 years... It's really making me look back at how far I've come as a composer in that time.   At 19, I was very naive on my views of music.  To me, at that time, music was something far different than it is now.  It was a means at which to relieve myself emotionally.  Today, it's a little more complex than that.  I view music now as a language.  One that can transcend cultural and social boundaries and express ideas and thoughts in ways that words for me can not.  Yes, it still helps relieve my emotions - but it serves far more than that now.  At 19, I didn't want to listen to criticism.  I felt that I had learned everything there was to learn about music.  From the shaping of melody to the fine intricacies of harmony.  That's most likely why I got so discouraged in my time at the University of Indianapolis.  I wanted to just 'do' it instead of take the time to learn from those who 'did' it.  That was a mistake, in my opinion, but not one that I would ever take back.  I've learned a lot in the last 10 years.  My music today is a clear representation of that.  It is an extension of me in every aspect now.  I'm so glad to be going back to school and I look forward to all the connections and opportunities it will bring me.