Go.
Sing.
If you don’t you’ll always wonder what might have been.
Update: Auditioned today; it went well. He is hearing a couple more people, and there is another guy auditioning one or two, but he told me he thinks I’ll be “perfect” for the role. I’m pretty sure he’s on my side, but there is the other guy, who hasn’t heard me (I think the one who auditioned me recorded me on his iPod). I should know by the end of the month.
Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I was more or less convinced that I should go, so it’s nice to have that support. To clarify, though, it’s not the classes I’m worried about, it’s graduation. If I don’t play this just right, graduation will be pushed off a year, which pushes off the job search a year, and I ain’t gettin’ younger. But I’ll figure it out.
Can you go to the director of your degree program and see if there’s any way they can “work something out” so you don’t have to put things off for a whole year? You never know, things may be more flexible than you think, and I’m sure they’d wouldn’t want you to pass up an experience like this. I’m not in education, but I’ve been pretty amazed at the things I’ve seen other students talk their way out of (and thats both grads and undergrads). Good luck!
This sounds like good advice. Surely any decent educational establishment is going to be pleased that you are getting an interesting international experience.
It will make you a better teacher in several ways, including being able to give your students career advice.
Maybe you can work out some deal where you call it independent study and get credit for going over there – write a paper about your experiences or something.
Unfortunately, the curriculum is pretty rigid. Since it’s a state certification program, there are very specific things I need to take. The classes in question are the last four teacher education classes I need. They are an absolute requirement. Plus, I cannot take any classes while student teaching. So I need to have everything taken care of by the end of the fall semester.
I think it’ll work out, though. I can still get one class done this summer, leaving me three in the fall. It’ll be busy, but I’m always busy, so what the heck.
The only thing it might do is prevent me from doing Non-Western Music, which is a degree requirement. Which would mean I would get my certification, but no degree. I already have two degrees, so that’s not a huge deal. I don’t think they’d let me substitute this experience for the class, since Aberdeen is not precisely non-western.
I’ve generally found a dirk to be a sufficient solution to bagpipes.
But chalk me into the “you’ll always wonder what if” column.
Go for it!
I’ve generally found a dirk to be a sufficient solution to bagpipes.
But chalk me into the “you’ll always wonder what if” column.
Go for it!
My wife and I talked today; while I might still try to graduate in Spring '08 if the Aberdeen thing doesn’t work out, we decided it would be okay to put things off for another year.
Pretty much everyone we’ve talked to has said we’d be idiots to pass this up (there is a potential position for her assisting with the children’s choir). It would probably cost us a bit–there is a limited fund for travel–but it would be fantastic resume material for both of us.
So here’s hopin’.
Bumping to update:
I didn’t get the gig. The opera people wanted me, but the festival people decided to go with someone local.
Oh well. I made a new connection at least.
Well, I’m sorry that they decided against you, but glad that you tried for it.