Just an update.. I returned from India at the end of July, after postponing my departure about three times. The last few months of my time in India was spent up in Assam with some friends, making music and just generally enjoying life.
Since August '05, I have been teaching music as a full-time volunteer at Chicago Mennonite Learning Center, a private Christian school for children from kindergarten through 8th grade. It's located on the south side of Chicago near Midway airport. So I'm living in a house owned by the school, and as a volunteer I don't receive an incredibly large stipend, but I don't have any expenses, so it works out nicely! I teach general music to every grade twice a week, help the 7th/8th grade teacher with grading, and I teach 20 individual piano students every week as well. As a performance major in college, I had absolutely NO teaching experience, but after a semester teaching here, I've learned quite a lot about what it takes to be a teacher. And I've begun to really enjoy it!
School will end in June, and I'll probably move on, assuming that I will be admitted into one of the four graduate schools to which I've applied, including: Columbia University in New York City, New York University (also in New York City), University of California at Berkeley, and University of California at Santa Barbara. I applied for combined Masters/PhD programs in ethnomusicology. What the heck is that?? It's basically the anthropology of music. I'll most likely focus on Indian music, do lots of exciting research, and after some seven years, I'll defend my dissertation! And then who knows what's in store for me....
In the event that none of the four schools I've chosen will accept me, well then I will also be applying to the University of London's "School of Oriental and African Studies" (SOAS). They have a great one-year Masters in Ethnomusicology program. So maybe I'll do that. We'll see! I'll hear from Berkeley in mid-February and the others should be letting me know by mid-March.
