#maestrarambles

[bassicallymaestra]

Look at my girl's glow up 🤩✨

A little about me, I've been drawing for fun since I was young, and especially drew a lot when I was an undergrad but then I got my first big girl job and it was so much work and responsibility that I didn't have time and pretty much stopped altogether except for a few sketches here and there. I've also noticed that I will get a crazy art burst and then not be stuck in an art block (and they usually last around 2 years) I would try but I was never pleased. The last time I really worked on something that I liked was in 2020 in quarantine and then they forced all us teachers back in person (even though there wasn't a vaccine yet 🙃). Once I started grad school, I only had time to study or practice, but now that I've graduated, I decided a needed a little break from music and start drawing again! Before I had always used Painttool SAI but it wasn't compatible with my surface when I got it years ago so I got Clip Paint Studio and never had time to really explore around it.

I'm so happy to have time to draw again (even though I've been neglecting my bass 😫 but I also just had my graduate recital and was close to getting a practice injury). I try to get a little drawing every day now and I'm so happy with my progress, especially with learning the software and all the cool things it can do.

That first drawing of Serena is so cringe now, but ✨PROGRESS✨I adore this community and have never felt so inspired to art

[bassicallymaestra]

I'm at a conducting workshop this week so there won't be much art from me this week, but I'm learning lots of cool things! I learned a lot about conducting a film concert (apparently it's more difficult than a live musical or opera).

Fun facts I learned!

When preparing for the concert, the studio will send you a digital version of the score and then a special copy of the movie that has a click track/streamers/hits and you can adjust if it only has music, dialogue, etc.

When an orchestra puts on a film concert, they usually pay around $25,000 just for the rights for the film and music, that doesn't include the projectors and sound system either. Studios will also send a special projector person to run the film during rehearsals and concerts.

For big IPs like Star Wars and Harry Potter, they literally have a list of conductors who can conduct them and if you're not on that list, you can't do it. So it's like this weird special hidden list that not many people know about.

I learned lots of other cool things today but I'm not sure if y'all would be interested in the nitty gritty of behind the scenes of conducting

[bassicallymaestra]

I miss the beginning of summer when I had nothing to do all day and could draw all day 😭 I've never pumped out so much art!! I'm still drawing, but my speed is really slowing as I only have a few hours to work since it's August and it's now PREP TIME for professor jobs. Once school starts I will have even less time, but I'll still be around!!

In the meantime, I've been working on making resin butterflies for our sculpture garden. We had a booth at the Pride parade and community members designed their own butterfly on transparent paper and then we set it in resin. It's so much fun (but trimming these swallowtail butterflies to fit into the mold has been a time 🙃)

I had extra resin leftover so I made this one

Best part is I still get to be the gallery assistant when the school year starts 😄 it's been so much fun, like every day I come into work and get to do fun art stuff

[bassicallymaestra]

I just found out that I'm going to be the adjunct double bass professor at my old university and I'm so pumped!!!! 🤩🤩🤩

Now I officially have two adjunct jobs in my dream career!! I'm so happy and excited!! When I left public school teaching a few years ago I was nervous about completely changing careers and instruments (I used to be a violist but I always wanted to play bass since I was little, but my parents little 4 door sedans can't hold a person-sized instrument) but now I'm excited to start my career as an artist!!!

[bassicallymaestra]

I did a thing and got my haircut 🫠

I used to have hella thick hair, but I started to lose thickness in high school and college+public school teaching stress made me almost bald. I learned how to strategically comb over thin sections and grew it out.

Last year I started using a new hair product and it has actually been helping me grow my hair!! It's so much thicker than it has ever been!! But I've been dealing with chunks of new hair growing and it seriously looked like a toddler took scissors to my hair. Decided to get it cut to somewhat even it out, ended up being a little shorter than I wanted but it will grow! My hair hasn't been this short in over a decade 😱

[bassicallymaestra]

I don't use tiktok much but I made one for fun today working at the art gallery! I'm sure I'm not doing proper matte cutting technique but I'm learning 😅

[bassicallymaestra]

Being a professor is keeping me really busy! I conducted a concert today and I'm doing a presentation tomorrow on building and sustaining a music program at the university my mentor teaches at!

But the cat distribution system hit me and I wanted to show you all my newest family member, Freyja! My partner found her stuck in our small tree crying Friday morning and we saved her and have been taking care of her/falling in love with her 😭🥰

She is incredibly spunky and full of energy when she's not sleeping 😂 also please enjoy her favorite toy!

[bassicallymaestra]

I wish they added more hair options for Hogwarts Legacy because I've noticed from screenshots all of our f!MCs have the same hair style 😂😂

[bassicallymaestra]

I needed to share some exciting news with you all ! Or mostly I just need to ramble because I'm so excited 😂

Now that I'm officially graduated, I've been looking for jobs/trying to figure out what I want to do in between my masters and doctorate. I'm taking a few break years to master more skills and to learn more by trying out the professional musician route, basically taking gigs and teaching private lessons. Now, nothing is set in stone yet, since I haven't signed a contract, but it looks like I'm going to be the adjunct string professor at a nearby university! I'm really excited, this sounds like a dream job where I teach a string methods class to the music ed majors, teach private string lessons, and am in charge of the orchestra. I'm also a music sub for the surround area districts for some extra $$$ since the adjunct job is only two nights a week.

There's also a possibility that I will be the adjunct double bass professor at my alma mater as well. I'm still going to be playing with my old university's symphony orchestra since I'm staying in town, and also just found out that I will be able to still work and conduct the orchestra as well, so yay more experience!!!!

Unfortunately my jobs have the summers off, so I've had to figure out something to do in the meantime and I recently scored a job working at the university art galleries and it is SO MUCH FUN!!! I'm ecstatic to work in the art world and learn more about it! My university has a large collection of Oscar Howe's artwork, and I've been learning about him and his life to write the placard descriptions for the exhibit and like what an absolute badass 😤 I didn't realize him as an artist was a huge changing point for Native American art!

[bassicallymaestra]

Ok, so I was just thinking of a silly AU where all of our MCs exist in the same universe and basically Hogwarts has this HUGE influx of new 5th year students and like ancient magic is like cicada based where there's no ancient magic but all of a sudden BOOM they're everywhere and now Professor Fig has all these new students to worry about 😂 like can you imagine the CHAOS?!

[bassicallymaestra]

I haven't had any time to draw this week between working extra hours at the gallery and musical tech week and I teach at a music camp next week! So instead I wanted to share what it looks like to be in an orchestra pit (especially for people who have never seen one before). The conductor is on a platform and the opening allows the conductor to see what's going on stage so they can cue both the pit ensemble and the cast ensemble on stage. I've had a little experience conducting the end of Handel's Alcina and it was SO NEAT seeing everyone and the stage so close up, while being able to work with the pit musicians. I always joked its the best seat in the house (also the most nerve-wracking)

tbh, this pit is one of the nicest I've been in, they're usually just concrete and dust 😭 the other one I usually play in also has a low ceiling so I can't pull my endpin out and use a stool for playing so I have to play like a literal gremlin 😂

This is what it's supposed to look like:

Here's me with the worst posture and hoping my professor doesn't come down to see this atrocious technique:

I've played in a lot of musicals, some of my favorites being Elf, Sound of Music, Ride the Cyclone, Newsies, and recently Beauty and the Beast! My favorite opera to play in was Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, which is an absolute riot of an opera (it's basically Weekend at Bernie's).

[bassicallymaestra]

It's been flooding like crazy where I live 😱 me, my partner and our fur babies are ok! It's just wild how much water there is! I'm also traveling for a job interview today and I'm hoping all the roads are open and water-free!

[bassicallymaestra]

A quick tour of the tiny gallery I'm working at right now! It's about 75% complete. I had a fun time researching and writing the plaques. We successfully applied two giant vinyl stickers to the wall (wow that was a task 😂) . This has been the best summer job ever

[bassicallymaestra]

I'm inspired by @myokk again and wanted to share some pictures I took on my walk to work today

First picture is of my favorite building on campus, the National Music Museum which holds the largest collection of instruments in the world! They just got a new addition built on! Second picture is what we call the Hogwarts building 😂 third picture is where I'm working

These are a couple of my favorite pieces in the gallery. These were mockups made for the Corn Palace murals (also, it's exactly what you think it is 😂 it's a literal building built like a castle and they add murals every year made out of corn, it's the goofiest Midwest thing ever)

[bassicallymaestra]

I've had no time to draw 😭 but my musician life is thriving! I've started a private studio teaching double bass lessons along with my professor and gallery stuff.

Here are some pictures from one campus I work at! Also, fun fact: I'm the marching band announcer so I get to go to every game and speak on a microphone 😂 I really love it!! I put on my best WWE announcer voice and absolutely ham it up 😂😂 also there's no better feeling than lining up the script perfectly with the music 😩

[bassicallymaestra]

I think the flooding took out some of our Internet infrastructure because it's been super spotty and unreliable for a bit 😭 so instead I've been playing Dragon Age Inquisition and doodling.

I always play for our community theater's summer musical and this year we're doing Beauty and the Beast!! 😍 It's so much fun, especially Gaston and Be Our Guest!

This is what my setup looks like, I usually use my surface pro for music (I originally bought it for art but it's so helpful with music) especially musicals with lots of page turns. I have a Bluetooth foot pedal I use to turn the page and it's so nice. Only problem with digital is if you get new transposed parts or are using alt versions that are found in the back, so I have my paper music to look off as well (and to use as a backup if you have technical issues 🙃)