I hate it when this happens...

Heading into the top of the ninth inning: Angels 6, Indians 4.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning: Indians 8, Angels 6.

Ugh.

Box Score

All-Star closer, Brian Fuentes, entered in the top of the ninth to preserve the two-run lead. He faced four batters and this happened: single, single, home run, home run.

Four batters, four hits, four runs, zero outs.

Ick.

Sometimes I just don't know

It's been quite a roller-coaster over the last few weeks. I think it finally hit me the last two days. Not knowing if a job is waiting for you when the academic year starts is strange. I have worked at a college for 12 years now - the thought of not meeting the
new students is strange.

I have been irritable for the better part of a week and it has to be related to a) not getting a call from the JC where I was a finalist for a tenure-track gig and b) the overwhelming sadness surrounding the CSU and the budget at CSU Bakersfield where I work. Just a depressing time.

I guess if I have a diminished role at CSUB in September I will just have to parlay that time into some great composing and work on that part of my career. That is the part that has been neglected since I started th FT gig at the University and doubly so since the birth is the triplets. Anyway, just curious as to what the future holds. I'm not enjoying the wait, either.

My summer on the edge...

So, I've been up to a lot this summer. Immediately after CSUB let out for the summer on June 15, I served as director for the CSUB Summer Arts Jam 2009. That 2-week program was short, but intense. I coordinated a program that brought 100 students a day to CSUB. These middle-school aged students were immersed in painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, music and musical theater for 5 hours a day over 10 days. I worked with some amazing folks from the Arts Council of Kern and Kern Superintendent of Schools as well as administrators at CSUB that wanted to make this program a success. It was, and a website is in the works. Give me a couple more days to get it up - but the art is stunning. Here is a sample:

So, while the Summer Arts Jam was up and running I started a composition project called 30/30 Project. Follow that link to read about the project in total, but basically, I committed to write a new 30-second piece of music each day for 30 days. I have not quite lived up to the initial idea; I have created 25 pieces in 32 days, but I am still very proud of the output.

I have also tried to get out and perform a little more. I have been regularly attending the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop and performing with all sorts of folks there - from the grizzled veterans of the local jazz scene to young high-school students trying to gain an understanding of jazz. It has been a blast.

All the while, I have been reconnecting with my lovely wife, Jennifer Neil and our wonderful three boys, Aidan, Maxwell and Dylan.

If this summer mid-point re-cap could end there life would be great. Unfortunately, that is not the case. As you probably know, I am a full-time lecturer at CSU Bakersfield. A lecturer is a notch below any professorship. Lecturers do not have, nor can ever attain tenure without going through a hiring process for a "new" position. Lecturers have much less job security than people with the title of professor.

As the bad news kept rolling in regarding the economy in the state of California I started to get more and more worried about the solidity of my teaching job. All workers on campus are deciding if they can accept furloughs and the CSU raised tuition for our students by 32% starting in the fall of 2009. Even with furloughs and fee increases the CSU faces a $275 million deficit. CSU Bakersfield faces a deficit of around $5 million. There is no way that all lecturers will retain their jobs. None. After seeing the numbers at a HUGE meeting on 7/22/09 I am convinced that a large number of folks will be laid off. That is faculty, staff and even administration.

I live tweeted this event and the history of those tweets can be found at Jim's Twitter. The tweets begin on July 22 at 11 AM-ish. It is a scary read.

The CSUB music department is in its own pickle too. Our wonderful piano instructor, Rachel Chao, has taken another position and will be leaving the University. While I am happy to see her get a great gig at Rice University it will be very hard to replace her. There is a hiring freeze that will make it tough to get a highly qualified person into the position before schools starts in September.

Lastly, like every year, I applied for a couple of jobs this year. I only apply for other teaching jobs when the job is right up my alley and/or it would offer me something that I really feel I need/want in my career. I am currently a finalist for one of these jobs. This job is a tenure-track position at a junior college. The position is focused on directing the jazz band, teaching theory and jazz appreciation. Additionally, this school is very close to a PhD program in composition that would be very enticing if I were to be relocating to this area of California.

I had a great interview with the college President on Monday, July 13th, but still haven't heard anything - yes or no - so I'm in a holding pattern. I don't know if my family can afford to pass up this position If it is offered. Especially if I don't have any form of a guarantee from CSUB how do I turn down a good job? Needless to say, it has been a crazy summer on the edge!

New pieces are up!!!

Check out jimscully.com and click on the 30/30 link at the bottom right of the home page. The most recent piece us pretty cool and sounds great because I used Logic Studio and the VSL.

Update:

No new pieces on Wednesday (7.22) or Thursday (7.23). After the budget meeting at CSUB on Wednesday I was pretty pissed and then I played at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop that night, so I took the night off. As an extension of my pissed-off mood, the family went to the beach on Thursday to decompress. Nice day. Long day. Back at it on Friday. Thirty 30-second pieces in 40 days is still pretty bad-ass if I may say so myself.

30/30 Project Update!

So, another piece down and I am only 13 compositions away from my stated goal of writing 30 30-second compositions in 30 days. I have taken a few days off - a family vacation, a national holiday and one honest to goodness day where I just blew it. Not too shabby, methinks.

So, here is the piece for today:

Murkiness

To hear all the pieces go to the website for the project:

30/30 Composition Project

More news to follow - exciting stuff....

Signing off...

Jim

Great advice from a Colleague...

Kerry Marsh - director of vocal jazz studies at CSU Sacramento - gave me some killer feedback on my arrangement of Ellington's I'm Beginning to See the Light. My head arrangement was a submission for one day of my 30/30 Composition Project - a project that has me compose a 30-second composition each day for 30 days. I cheated a bit with that entry. I had that almost completely in the can and needed to post something that day. But, his feedback will cause me to alter it quite a bit and repost my new version. Kerry is astonishing - his groups have won the Downbeat award for best collegiate vocal jazz group for six straight years and his arrangement of Selfless, Cold and Composed (Ben Folds composition) was selected by Ben Folds to be featured on the A cappella University CD project that Ben produced. The CD contains 18 or so hand-picked performances of Ben Folds tunes as done by vocal groups affiliated with schools. It is a great project and the Sac State tune stands out on the CD as the most developed and most interesting adaptation on the disc - by a long shot.

Here is that video:

Anyway, for Kerry to take time out of his life to listen to and critique my head arrangement of Beginning to See the Light is very cool and I'm gonna work my tail off on it to show him that his time was not wasted.

OT: Rest

Having a nice rest this week. After the school year and a two week art program that I directed I needed a break. One day in and I already feel better. But, how relaxing could a vacation be if I'm chasing around three four-year-old boys?

30/30 Project Update!

So, I've been pretty darn consistent with this project - only 2 days missed. But, I need a few days off now for a family decompression event. I'll pick back up in a couple days right where I left off.

I am very happy with how this has gone so far, the pieces are really showing my voice and the writing is getting easier. I love the process. As a father of three and very busy professor I don't get to write too much. This has been a great chance to get back on the saddle as ole' Gene Autry - the original owner of my favorite MLB franchise - used to sing.

Gigs!!!

Anyway...I just agreed to play a featured set at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop on 8/5/09 so the next few pieces will be written for small jazz groups. I want to feature at least three new tunes at the gig - so I gots to get writing. I have one for Freddie Hubbard I wrote last week, and I'll take a stab at a very guitaristic piece and maybe a modal tune. Something different.