Week 1 - half way there!

It has been a very exciting week here in Manchester. It's about 8pm on Wednesday evening, which means that most of you back home in the US are staring at your watches getting ready to go home from work! Anyway, it has been a pretty interesting week for me.

Everything got started on Tuesday. My teacher, Steven Mead, commutes to Manchester for teaching. He lives about 100 miles away from here, but he drives up early Tuesday morning. I had my first lesson and it was great. I played through a few things for one of my upcoming auditons (fingers/toes definitely crossed) and we worked through a few things. It was great to have another lesson. I would try and get a lesson in the past from Steve when I met up with him at conferences/performance venues. Now I'm like - I get one of these every week? Sweet! I hope I never take for granted how much these lessons are worth - and I hope none of his other students do either.

The entire euphonium studio here at the RNCM is about 18 students. We have people from England, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Ireland, Taiwan, and the good ol' USA. We are a diverse group ranging in ages from 19 to 29, but everyone is quite nice. After hours on Tuesday we got together for a little studio time at the bar, and then we went and had Indian food. I don't think I have ever had actual Indian food - I really liked it. I wasn't sure what I was eating, but it was pretty tasty!

Before the night out with the studio, I got to go for a run with Steve. When he comes to teach on Tuesday, he always stays the night in the halls. There are a few rooms in the top floor of the halls for staff when they come up. But, it was great getting to spend some time talking about various things. Mostly about his new disc, which is awesome. You can take a look at it by clicking here.

I am going with my flatmates and friends to see the world-famous Halle Orchestra play Brandenburg No. 5 and Mahler No. 5 (too many 5's if you ask me...) on Thursday - so more info on that later in the week! No other rants about the English yet - but it is only September!

A New Standard of Musicianship...

It is about noon on Sunday here in Manchester, meaning most of you who are reading this probably aren't even up yet. It has been a great weekend. Yesterday I went through my usual routine of going to the gym in the morning and some practice in the afternoon. I am slowly starting to get these excerpts under my fingers - hopefully I can start to make some music with this barrage of notes on the page.

Last evening, I had the pleasure to go to Bridgewater Hall here in Manchester to hear the BBC Philharmonic. For those who don't know much about orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic is one of the best orchestras in Britain, and in recorded media as well. The orchestra is based in Manchester, and are known locally as a wonderful orchestra. But, they are known world-wide as a repertoire creating orchestra, meaning that they record a huge amount of CD's for release everywhere. If you were to stroll through Borders or Barnes & Noble, you could probably purchase at least 100 of their discs in various formats.

So, we had a few kilometers to walk (see that, getting the European lingo down), so I decided to take a few pictures. If you want more info on the BBC Philharmonic, click here. The walk down to Bridewater Hall takes us down Oxford Street, and across a small channel, and finally to the hall.

The large high rise building is the newly opened Hilton 5-Star hotel. It seems that everyone in Manchester absolutely hates this building, and I can understand why. There aren't many large buildings (about 20 stories is it in the city centre), and this thing is just massive. And, I don't particularly enjoy the look of it - myself.

The Bridgewater Concert Hall is about 10 years old, and is one of the nicest concert venues I think I have ever been in. They spent so much money on the construction - it is absolutely beautiful. The seating is great, and there are no blocked seats. For the first half of the concert, we were in the upper balcony - but there were seats free in the house for the second half, so we moved down. The organ in the hall is supposed to be one of the finest in the world - and is definitely one of the most massive instruments I have ever seen. Here are a few pictures of the hall and a close-up of the instrument. Just click them to enlarge!

I hope that everyone has enjoyed this little trip to the Bridgewater Hall, and through downtown Manchester. Thanks to my folks for sending me a few things - including the cables for my digital camera - so I can actually give you guys some real pictures!

Freshers Week - a synopsis...

In the UK they have 'Freshers Week', which seems to be a highly alcohol-infused freshman orientation. Now, don't get me wrong - everyone enjoys a good beer, but it seems like they are really enjoying themselves. While the school of music here in Manchester is definitely 'wet', meaning that there is not only alcohol allowed on campus, but here it actually sold. The student union has a bar in it, and there is a bar right next to the cafe.

So, the Student Union organizes Freshers social gatherings all evening long everyday the week before classes begin. Now, this isn't a problem, but the 'social club' comes banging on our door while me and my flatmates are about to eat - every night. And, just like every other night, we tell them that we aren't coming - because we are old and boring. Actually, we are just very hungry and we don't really want to walk all the way back to school just to have a beer.

Today was a pretty good day. Some of my friends back home were in Washington D.C. for the final round of the Army Band Audition, which one of them won. I haven't posted an atta-boy here because the information is second hand that they won - hopefully will post soon about that. But, it they did - awesome.

Practice space is at a premium here at the RNCM. Probably because there is a brand new wing of the building that is currently being constructed, and set to open in March with new studios and such. But, in the meantime, almost 15 practice rooms have been cut because they are in the construction zone. But, unlike both of the previous schools that I attended, you book your practice space and get a key for the rooms that you booked. There is one person who schedules every room in the building and it is awesome. University of Kansas - if you are reading this, you could learn something from this...

I had an interesting experience at the grocery store this afternoon. My flatmates and I take turns cooking for everyone, and it was my turn to cook. So, I went to the ASDA (which is owned by Wal-Mart), and was trying to find everything that I needed. I was looking for chicken breast strips, which they refer to as Mini-British Chickens. Also, I was looking for zucchini and finally found it, but they don't call it that - I don't remember what they call it, but it's definitely not zucchini. Oh well, more of that colourful spelling... ;)

The rest of the week will be spent getting all of my ducks in a row, and planning out how I am going to attack the next 3 weeks before I return to the US to take the USCG and NAVY euphonium auditions by storm! Well, we are going to do our best - we'll see about the 'by storm' part. Anyway, I now have my dock for my digital camera, so I promise to start giving you all some pictures of the layout here. All the best for an enjoyable weekend - more to come on Monday!

More queries than answers...

Ok,

So in my little time here in Manchester, I have learned a lot about the local culture and about English living in general. For the most part, everything in Europe is smaller. The bathrooms, bedrooms, cars, people, everything is a wee-bit closer together.

I am however learning some new words, which I will share with you now.

- bits & pieces = odds and ends
- get at it = give it a shot
- half 2 = 2:30 (the time, this does not mean 1:30, like I thought it should)
- car park = parking garage
- quid = pounds = currency (this one really confused me for a bit)
- pissed = drunk
- meter = 40 inches
- query = question
- que = waiting line

So, I am learning all this new dialect, and it is just fascinating. I don't think that I have begun to engulf any of these words into my vocabulary, but one of my roommates is from Ireland - so I have begun to hear my inner monologue with a Irish accent. Strange, I know.

Today was full of meetings, where we were hit with a barage of paperwork and more importantly, people began to give us information. I am pursuing a PG (Post Graduate) Diploma, otherwise known as an Artist's Diploma. Basically, it is a Master's Degree without a paper requirement (thesi/dissertation). So, here is what I have to do:

I have to complete 120 credits by the end of the school year. 60 of these will involve my studio instructor (Steven Mead), and this will include lessons/studio class/various studio related things. Also, my recital will be a portion of this grade. In addition to this, I have to take (3) 20 credit classes. From this, there are many things. I can take band (actually, I'll probably have to take band), chamber music, arranging, recording techniques, other misc. things. Also, I can devise my own class. Everything here seems to be somewhat of a guided study. Meaning, that classes don't meet persay, but moreover the student simply 'checks-in' with his/her teacher every now and then to update them on their progress.

So, I'm thinking - this is nice, no classes. But, it does seem like a lot of work. I do see how this would be hard to pull off outside of the conservatory setting - meaning that if you procrastinate even slightly - you would be seriously in a world of hurt. But it was nice hearing the principal of the school saying, "I know practice is the most important thing that you do... but, make time for socializing." That was wonderful to hear. No mention of diagnostic testing, deficiencies, etc. A truly unique approach to music.

I had my first experience with the Curry Mile, which there is a picture of it next to this paragraph. About a miles walk down Oxford Street (the main drag), there is a section of restaurants that would be similar to an Indian version of China Town. There are restaurants everwhere. And, today Sean Oden (another euphonium player from the US - who is starting the first of his undergraduate years here at the RNCM) and I went to the Curry Mile and ate dinner. It was good, but kind of like Greek food, I wasn't sure what I was eating (probably didn't want to know either), but it was really good. It began to rain on the way back to the dorms, but not too hard. The locals say that it rains about 250 days a year here in Manchester. Never for very long, but there is rain, everyday.

Well, that's about it for me right now. I have the next few days off, which I will spend relaxing and getting some time 'behind the horn.' But, for everyone who has written - thank you. It is great over here, but I will definitely be ready to come home at Christmas. For those of you that would like it, here is my mailing address at the RNCM.

Pat Stuckemeyer
A4-1C
Sir Charles Groves Residence
Booth Street West
Manchester M156PG
United Kingdom

Take care for now!

- Pat

Starting to figure out where everything is...

I have been in England for 2 whole days now. While it is different in many respects to the US, things here are much like any larger industrial city that you might go to. The cultural diversity is quite exceptional - it is nice being able to blend in (that is until I open my mouth, or count out my change)... That being said, time for a little ranting:

The money over here is so confusing. First off, there is no bill smaller than a 5, so you are regulating to heaving around a pocket full of change. And, get this - the coins make no sense. First, you have 50p and 20p pieces, both of which are 8 sided. The 50p piece is bigger than the 20p, so that makes sense. Now, there is a 10p and 5p which both are round, and the 5p is smaller than the 10p. Next, you have 2 copper coins, the 2p and the 1p. This is so confusing because the 2p is the same size as the 50p, but it is round not 8 sided. Take all of these and you also have a £1 and £2 coin, it is way too much change. Maybe the lack of a 25 cent piece just makes things difficult. Oh well...

Anyway, thing here are pretty good. We are in the middle of international orientation, which I believe is more geared for the non-English as the first language variety of student. I have found the other Americans in the group. There is a cello player from Canada who is pretty cool, and we find ourselves making fun of the way they spell things: colour, favourite, organise. It's ok - I get it, we (Americans) are doing it wrong... ;)

The school is very beautiful. It is older, but they are just finishing off a new wing that opens in March, so that means more room to grow. The school has a bout 600 students, with about 250 faculty - so the need for practice/office space is key. The practice rooms are all booked in advance, so there is no need to go hunting. You step in the front desk, and there is someone there whose only purpose in life is to book practice rooms. Quite nice, and quite effective. No more of this 1st floor, 4th floor, 1st floor junk - walk in, ask the nice lady - she gives you a key - voila!

Food here is good. There are so many options. We had a talk from the visitors bureau and they told us that if you wanted to eat a different cuisine from a different country every night that you were here - you would have to stay for 78 nights. Pretty cool. I haven't ventured much outside of turkey sandwiches and paninis for the time being, but I am feeling ambitious right now.

A little bit about Manchester, actually a lot bit is available on this website: http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/

They are turning out internet in our rooms on Monday, so I will be able to give you more pictures and such, but for now you will just have to wait! I hope that everyone is doing well, and I miss you all!

Finally here...

I have arrived in Manchester. Thank you Lee for pointing out my oversight. Apparently the poster of those pics (yes, I stole them off the internet) did not label them properly - so, the bottom picture is not from Manchester, but from Chester. Sorry for the oversight.

The ride over was great, aside from missing my connection and having to fly through to London it was a nice day. I was able to get some sleep on the plane, and luckily so was the person next to me.

Once I arrived, there was a collection service that took me to the school and my new dorm room. After living in a house during my master's degree, a dorm room is definitely a different climate.

Anyway, there are a bunch of international students around and more info to come - my time here at the internet cafe is about up. Bye for now!

Leaving today...

So, I am taking off today for England. I leave my parent's home at 2pm on Monday, and I arrive Tuesday morning in Manchester at 7am. It is definitely difficult packing for an entire year, but I am trying. Since I have to check my euphonium, I am down to one suitcase - which weighs about 80lbs. Oh well... I will check in once I get my internet up and running over there, but it might be a bit before my next post. Till then, I leave you with a few scenic shot of Manchester.

A little bit about the RNCM

So, I realized the other day that some of you probably have no clue what the RNCM or where the RNCM is. I found this nice little map of the surrounding area so you can see a birds-eye view of the RNCM area.

The school is situated pretty much in what we would consider a metropolitan area. I think that Manchester is the 3rd largest city in the UK, seeing that it has an international airport would be a good indication.

It's about a 3-hour train ride from London, and you can get to Ireland and Scotland right from the city. The school has about 400 undergraduates, 150 postgraduates that are being taught by 265 faculty members - so the student to teacher ratio is awesome. The school states that 67% of last years graduates had employment, while the remaining went on for further study. For anybody who knows brass music, Edward Gregson is the Dean of the School.

If you want to learn more about the RNCM, click here. Here are a few pictures of the school and one of Clara Schumann's Piano, which has its home in one of the RNCM's performance halls.

Getting ready to leave.

It's my first post here at my all-new blog here at PatStuckemeyer.com, so I thought I would tell you a bit about what has been going on the past few weeks.

When I came home from Lawrence I talked with my old band-director, Jim Walling about helping out with Memorial High School, where I went to school to occupy my time. Well, it has been loads of fun working with those kids. They are so musical, and they pick up on things really quickly. The entire experience has been great - hats off to them!

So, I leave for the United Kingdom on Sept. 11. I think I fly out of Evansville sometime in the afternoon, flying through Chicago. I get there early on the 12th. It is exciting and scary all at the same time. On the one hand, I get to totally immerse myself in the euphonium and study with Steve Mead. The antithesis would be that I have to be 2,000 miles away from the love-of-my-life and the rest of my family. Thank god for iSights!

So, I switched my Mom to a Macintosh. I made the switch about 2 years ago after one of "those weeks" where I had to format my computer every other day. She seems to really like it, and it is a sweet machine.

My second CD is coming out soon, I promise. I have all of the artwork finished and we are just waiting on the duplicator. Click here for online ordering: http://shop.patstuckemeyer.com

That's about it for my first post here. I will leave you with a little fun that I was having with Photo Booth! Cheers for now!