Good music, even if made on some crap cassette 4 track, will win more hearts
than a professionally polished turd.
-Tweak
than a professionally polished turd.
-Tweak
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13 May 2007
10 May 2007
Finals week
I was told to start blogging about music again. I sit in the Club d'Ville, preparing to play with the Matt McElravy trio for what might be the last time, both with the group and in this venue.
I have two rules of stage presence that I tend to live by, or at least perform by. Matt is doing a find job with them right now. Other performers tonight... did not.
1. Don't talk. Ever. Ever. If you have the capacity to create music, do it. Nobody came to hear to you talk, they came to hear you play music. You're probably not a stand up comedian. If people came just to see you, they are probably your friends or your parents and they hear you talk enough. If they don't know you and came to hear you play music, then they probably want to hear you play music. Bottom line: just shut up, and play until you run out of time.
2. Don't apologize. Ever. Ever. If you botch a chord, you meant to do it, and you should be satisfied, or maybe even do it again. Nobody cares if you screw up, and chances are, only the other performers in the audience will notice. If you whine about it, everyone will notice. People don't want to feel pity for a mediocre performer, they want to feel awe and wonder at a great performer.
Loophole - you can break either of these rules at any given time, IF you get some audible response from the audience. Laughter, pity (audible pity), maybe crying, whatever - if you apologize for something hilarious and they laugh, then it's ok. If you tell a funny story and people laugh, it's good. If you have friends, ignore them, and ESPECIALLY don't tell inside jokes.
------------------
I've ordered yet another piece of equipment, and I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival. I had quite an adventure making sure it was actually in the mail, and now I believe it is:
When things get under way, I will keep everyone updated.
I have two rules of stage presence that I tend to live by, or at least perform by. Matt is doing a find job with them right now. Other performers tonight... did not.
1. Don't talk. Ever. Ever. If you have the capacity to create music, do it. Nobody came to hear to you talk, they came to hear you play music. You're probably not a stand up comedian. If people came just to see you, they are probably your friends or your parents and they hear you talk enough. If they don't know you and came to hear you play music, then they probably want to hear you play music. Bottom line: just shut up, and play until you run out of time.
2. Don't apologize. Ever. Ever. If you botch a chord, you meant to do it, and you should be satisfied, or maybe even do it again. Nobody cares if you screw up, and chances are, only the other performers in the audience will notice. If you whine about it, everyone will notice. People don't want to feel pity for a mediocre performer, they want to feel awe and wonder at a great performer.
Loophole - you can break either of these rules at any given time, IF you get some audible response from the audience. Laughter, pity (audible pity), maybe crying, whatever - if you apologize for something hilarious and they laugh, then it's ok. If you tell a funny story and people laugh, it's good. If you have friends, ignore them, and ESPECIALLY don't tell inside jokes.
------------------
I've ordered yet another piece of equipment, and I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival. I had quite an adventure making sure it was actually in the mail, and now I believe it is:
When things get under way, I will keep everyone updated.
02 May 2007
The plot thickens...
The local paper published the following today on the Stacy Snyder lawsuit:
I suppose it wasn't Millersville trying to keep connections. Drat - I was hoping for a conspiracy. And what's this?
Some things don't line up for me. She is named as a dean's list student, which could mean she got on the dean's list once or twice, or she got on every semester. At any rate, she almost got her teaching certificate in Pennsylvania, so she at least has a 3.0 gpa. But if what this article says is true:
And check out this bomb: the official CV response. It includes the letter of apology, the "real" disputed picture, and a quote from her MySpace.
For now, I still stand by what I wrote last night. Frankly I don't care what is in the pictures. What upsets me is that she was judged by a vague set of "moral standards," if you can even call them that. I don't doubt her professionalism was lacking, but I think Millersville responded in a sloppy, unprofessional manner as well.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa - The Conestoga Valley School
District says it did not pressure Millersville University to punish a
student teacher from Strasburg for alleged unprofessional conduct.
I suppose it wasn't Millersville trying to keep connections. Drat - I was hoping for a conspiracy. And what's this?
Kelin said the photograph released along with the lawsuit was not what was submitted by the teachers. The photograph they submitted, Kelin said, shows Snyder holding a plastic cup and making a hand gesture while wearing the pirate hat.A friend of mine suggested the same thing today. A Professional Studies professor said that there were several pictures on MySpace, and the media selected the mildest one. Well - the media didn't select any pictures, the lawsuit did. I don't know who would censor more severely, but I'm tempted to guess the lawsuit (as much as we all love to blame the media for everything).
Some things don't line up for me. She is named as a dean's list student, which could mean she got on the dean's list once or twice, or she got on every semester. At any rate, she almost got her teaching certificate in Pennsylvania, so she at least has a 3.0 gpa. But if what this article says is true:
"Snyder required 'significant remediation' as a teacher, and her evaluation reflected serious performance problems," Kelin said.and
According to a statement issued by the school district, "Snyder's Web site invites students to continue looking at her page, and in apparent response to Ms. Reinking's advice that such an invitation was unprofessional says, 'I don't think that they would stoop that low as to mess with my future."I guess she thought wrong.
And check out this bomb: the official CV response. It includes the letter of apology, the "real" disputed picture, and a quote from her MySpace.
For now, I still stand by what I wrote last night. Frankly I don't care what is in the pictures. What upsets me is that she was judged by a vague set of "moral standards," if you can even call them that. I don't doubt her professionalism was lacking, but I think Millersville responded in a sloppy, unprofessional manner as well.
In her defense...
Suddenly, Millersville University is on national news. How exciting!
My girlfriend who lives in Indiana has a roommate who heard about the recent case of Stacy Snyder on the radio. Here is the story from Fox News:
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university. Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of the Web-published picture of her, which bore the caption "Drunken Pirate. Snyder received "superior" or "competent" ratings on her final student-teacher evaluation in all areas except "professionalism," in which she was labeled "unsatisfactory," according to the suit filed Wednesday.
"I dreamed about being a teacher for a long time," aid Snyder, 27, of Strasburg, who has two young sons. She now works as a nanny.
The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.
Well. I just happen to be a Senior at Millersville, and I am pursuing a degree in Music Education. I student teach this coming fall, and will hopefully graduate with the degree I am pursuing. After four years, I know the school. Here is my take:
Millersvile University, being the institution that bestows such degrees, does have the power to withhold or revoke any degrees or certifications. I see it happen every day - if a student fails a class, it is, in essence, the university keeping them from earning that degree. This should come as no surprise to anyone, and I would not fault Millersville for denying a degree to a student.
But I must side with Snyder. I can think of at least two reasons: the first being the subjective nature of the standards by which she was judged, and the second being the manner and the time line of events that led to the denial of her degree.
1. The Millersville University Guide for Student Teaching can be found here. This is the criteria by which she was observed, evaluated, and denied her certification. Granted this guide is revised as of 8-23-06, and I can't find an older guide, which she would have had access to during her student teaching. (The "Code" is the same, I believe)
If you want to understand the heart and soul of Millersville University, read over this manual. I admit, there is some good stuff in here - I've got no beef with the discrimination policies, or the diversity policies, and I think it's a good idea for student teachers not to engage in sexual relations with their students. But!
Take a look at page 23. Here we find the criteria for what the school considers "professionalism." Check out that rating scale of 0-3 - no room for a C+, but rightfully so.
My first major objection is the actual definition that is given for "unsatisfactory." It is:
But who am I kidding? Check out number 5 - then go read the code for yourself. Snyder was held to the code of professional practice, and found wanting. This code does not clearly define what is good and bad, but instead leaves the door open for interpretation:
6. Professional educators shall impart to their students principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility.
Perhaps according to this standard, "principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility" were not imparted by Snyder. But putting such a standard into a supposed "code of professional practice" essentially puts the professional (or pre-professional) at the administrators hand of moral judgment. With such a rule, I could deny a teaching certificate to a teacher or student teacher who drives an SUV. After all, global warming affects society, and it is our responsibility to cut down on pollution. Driving an SUV by some estimations will lead to the early demise of the human race - this is not professional behavior. We could exaggerate this point all day.
These are standards by which student teachers should be instructed. These are standards by which curriculum should be created, and by which character be judged. These are NOT standards by which degrees and teaching certifications should be revoked at the last minute, without warning, without appeal, and without reprieve. If this were a temporary suspension, it would be a different story. Then it could be seen as an act of correction. I am having a hard time seeing this as an act of correction.
2. Last Minute! The DAY BEFORE GRADUATION?!?!?! This tells me at least one thing: Snyder didn't get the "unprofesional" rating until the last minute. I know from my peers that real, bona-fide unprofessional behavior gets you kicked out of student teaching before it's over. Any student in education has heard the stories of people who got kicked out of student teaching for this or that - but the point is that people get kicked out, or they at least get reprimanded. Was there a reprimand in this case? If she didn't get kicked out, then I presume she did fine in everything except the imaginary, subjective "do whatever the University declares is morally just and true" category. From the statements I've read in the newspapers and from online briefs, Snyder was surprised at the last minute that her degree would be changed, and her certification denied.
Something is fishy about this... is it at all interesting the district that supervised her student teaching placement told the university that they would stop accepting their student teachers if she was not punished? That's a little crude, but perhaps the motives of the University are less than professional. Frankly I think snatching a degree at the last second is as unprofessional as anything else, and the lack of option for appeal makes this sound like a consolation prize - "Oops, you didn't live up to our Code of Professional behavior... what you didn't read it? Oh you did - well then of course you know that you made 'bad decisions' based on the code, so we're going to just give you this other degree to shut you up. Have a nice day Ms. Snyder! Give us money when you're an alumni!" Unprofessional is the word I would use to describe lots of things done within the university itself - not to say it's a bad university, but anyone who has ever gone to college certainly knows better than to say that all professors and staff always exemplify professional behavior.
And another question: from where do the accusations of promoting "underage drinking" come? Do my parents promote underage drinking? They drink wine, and live with an underage daughter... Is all alcohol consumption considered the promotion of underage drinking? OR is this just another part of the subjective criteria imposed on students and professionals?
More to come later. Let me know what you think...
My girlfriend who lives in Indiana has a roommate who heard about the recent case of Stacy Snyder on the radio. Here is the story from Fox News:
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university. Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of the Web-published picture of her, which bore the caption "Drunken Pirate. Snyder received "superior" or "competent" ratings on her final student-teacher evaluation in all areas except "professionalism," in which she was labeled "unsatisfactory," according to the suit filed Wednesday.
"I dreamed about being a teacher for a long time," aid Snyder, 27, of Strasburg, who has two young sons. She now works as a nanny.
The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.
"There were errors in judgment that relate to Pennsylvania's Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators," wrote professor J. Barry Girvin, who supervised Snyder's work, according to the suit.
Well. I just happen to be a Senior at Millersville, and I am pursuing a degree in Music Education. I student teach this coming fall, and will hopefully graduate with the degree I am pursuing. After four years, I know the school. Here is my take:
Millersvile University, being the institution that bestows such degrees, does have the power to withhold or revoke any degrees or certifications. I see it happen every day - if a student fails a class, it is, in essence, the university keeping them from earning that degree. This should come as no surprise to anyone, and I would not fault Millersville for denying a degree to a student.
But I must side with Snyder. I can think of at least two reasons: the first being the subjective nature of the standards by which she was judged, and the second being the manner and the time line of events that led to the denial of her degree.
1. The Millersville University Guide for Student Teaching can be found here. This is the criteria by which she was observed, evaluated, and denied her certification. Granted this guide is revised as of 8-23-06, and I can't find an older guide, which she would have had access to during her student teaching. (The "Code" is the same, I believe)
If you want to understand the heart and soul of Millersville University, read over this manual. I admit, there is some good stuff in here - I've got no beef with the discrimination policies, or the diversity policies, and I think it's a good idea for student teachers not to engage in sexual relations with their students. But!
Take a look at page 23. Here we find the criteria for what the school considers "professionalism." Check out that rating scale of 0-3 - no room for a C+, but rightfully so.
My first major objection is the actual definition that is given for "unsatisfactory." It is:
I am trying to find a combination of words in italics that justifies an unsatisfactory rating based on one isolated incident. Assuming that "and" is the main function of the statement, the conjunction "and" requires that at least one adjective from BOTH sides of the conjunction be true. Which would lead me to believe either "rarely" or "never" must be true in order to warrant an unsatisfactory rating. Here are the indicators of performance:The candidate rarely or never and inappropriately or superficially demonstrates indicators of performance.
- Knowledge of school and district procedures and regulations related to attendance, punctuality, and the like
- Knowledge of school or district requirements for maintaining accurate reccords and communicating with faculty
- Knowledge of school and/or district events
- Knowledge of district or college's professional growth and development activities
- Integrity and ethical behavior, professional conduct as stated in Pennsylvania Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators; and local, state, and federal laws and regulations
- Effective communication, both oral and written, with students, colleagues, paraprofessionals, related service personnel, and administrators
- Ability to cultivate professional relationships with school colleagues
- Knowledge of Commonwealth requirements for continuing professional development and licensure
But who am I kidding? Check out number 5 - then go read the code for yourself. Snyder was held to the code of professional practice, and found wanting. This code does not clearly define what is good and bad, but instead leaves the door open for interpretation:
6. Professional educators shall impart to their students principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility.
Perhaps according to this standard, "principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility" were not imparted by Snyder. But putting such a standard into a supposed "code of professional practice" essentially puts the professional (or pre-professional) at the administrators hand of moral judgment. With such a rule, I could deny a teaching certificate to a teacher or student teacher who drives an SUV. After all, global warming affects society, and it is our responsibility to cut down on pollution. Driving an SUV by some estimations will lead to the early demise of the human race - this is not professional behavior. We could exaggerate this point all day.
These are standards by which student teachers should be instructed. These are standards by which curriculum should be created, and by which character be judged. These are NOT standards by which degrees and teaching certifications should be revoked at the last minute, without warning, without appeal, and without reprieve. If this were a temporary suspension, it would be a different story. Then it could be seen as an act of correction. I am having a hard time seeing this as an act of correction.
2. Last Minute! The DAY BEFORE GRADUATION?!?!?! This tells me at least one thing: Snyder didn't get the "unprofesional" rating until the last minute. I know from my peers that real, bona-fide unprofessional behavior gets you kicked out of student teaching before it's over. Any student in education has heard the stories of people who got kicked out of student teaching for this or that - but the point is that people get kicked out, or they at least get reprimanded. Was there a reprimand in this case? If she didn't get kicked out, then I presume she did fine in everything except the imaginary, subjective "do whatever the University declares is morally just and true" category. From the statements I've read in the newspapers and from online briefs, Snyder was surprised at the last minute that her degree would be changed, and her certification denied.
Something is fishy about this... is it at all interesting the district that supervised her student teaching placement told the university that they would stop accepting their student teachers if she was not punished? That's a little crude, but perhaps the motives of the University are less than professional. Frankly I think snatching a degree at the last second is as unprofessional as anything else, and the lack of option for appeal makes this sound like a consolation prize - "Oops, you didn't live up to our Code of Professional behavior... what you didn't read it? Oh you did - well then of course you know that you made 'bad decisions' based on the code, so we're going to just give you this other degree to shut you up. Have a nice day Ms. Snyder! Give us money when you're an alumni!" Unprofessional is the word I would use to describe lots of things done within the university itself - not to say it's a bad university, but anyone who has ever gone to college certainly knows better than to say that all professors and staff always exemplify professional behavior.
And another question: from where do the accusations of promoting "underage drinking" come? Do my parents promote underage drinking? They drink wine, and live with an underage daughter... Is all alcohol consumption considered the promotion of underage drinking? OR is this just another part of the subjective criteria imposed on students and professionals?
More to come later. Let me know what you think...
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