While I am yet to hear how my applications for the bigger degree pathway scholarships have fared (blogged about in very dodgy terms here), I've received a letter from RMIT advising me -- 'Congratulations!'

My application for a Student Support Scholarship has been successful!

The University is giving me $1,000.00 toward the expense of materials and general study costs while undertaking the Diploma in Music Industry (Technical Production).

This is great because the debt I've racked up studying so far this year is $1,010.00.

I actually don't expect to get the bigger scholarships, as I know without re-reading my applications, I hit some wrong notes. The structure of those submissions is a lot more confused. Maybe that has no bearing, but I just don't think it'll go through.

But "Yay!" for the Student Support Scholarship.

RMIT. What a contrast to the other place, huh?

I had a test on Thursday, on Synchronisation -- which is the technical stuff that occurs to get audio and video (analogue and digital) devices locked together in various kinds of audio/visual production facilities.

At RMIT these competencies are covered in a subject called
Audio For Media. My tutor for this subject is Tim Johnston, who also teaches the EMT (Electronic Music Technology) subject.

Tim was a house engineer at Metropolis, which until recently (when it closed doors for good) was the Mecca for big music production values in Melbourne. Tim has a pretty neat CV from what I could find online when I was researching which course to do in 2008. This is his very short career blurb from the 2006 Ausmusic/Metropolis/3PBS Masterclass series website.

From here.

Not bad, huh?

I mention this because technically I already completed the competency in Synchronisation at THAT PLACE, where I actually had to stripe analogue tape with timecode, and lock it to both Protools and two Umatic video playback/recorders. The "gentleman" who took that class has no notable production credentials in industry outside those sponsored and facilitated by the TAFE. Whatever that means - something that ain't nothing.

The way the Diploma in Music Production is structured, all the competencies have to be covered, but the training providers can package them into subjects any way they want. It was easier to just slot into the RMIT course structure, than try to pull apart individual parts that I have/have not covered.

Also, at RMIT I'm getting far superior written support materials, and a lot more experience in Protools and Logic, which are of more application than analogue chops. Not sorry I've played with vintage equipment (although it certainly wasn't worth the headfuck of THAT PLACE.)

So, test in Synchronisation - Tim graded the tests and emailed the results out THE SAME DAY we took the test. He didn't give us any student names - just student numbers, which is kinda cool as I can see how I fared in terms of entire class performance. I've further cut the doc to protect the anonymity of those students who didn't go so great.

I didn't get 100% - but then no one did. Four students got 18 (92%), and I'm one of them. Getting the highest grade given is OK by me.

I actually wrote "trick question?" next to one answer, and a "?" next to another -- so I reckon those are the ones I got wrong. One of them was a small boring math thing (unlike a lot of the interesting math things), and the other was nowhere near my study notes. Anyway, so far I am still in A or A+ territory with all my results, which is not a bad place to be.

Dates	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Total
3/9/2008 - 3/15/2008	Sun March 09 0H 0M	Mon March 10 0H 0M	Tue March 11 0H 0M	Wed March 12 0H 0M	Thu March 13 1H 0M	Fri March 14 1H 0M	Sat March 15 1H 0M	3H 0M
3/2/2008 - 3/8/2008	Sun March 02 1H 0M	Mon March 03 1H 0M	Tue March 04 0H 0M	Wed March 05 1H 0M	Thu March 06 0H 0M	Fri March 07 1H 0M	Sat March 08 0H 0M	4H 0M
2/24/2008 - 3/1/2008	Sun February 24 0H 0M	Mon February 25 0H 0M	Tue February 26 0H 0M	Wed February 27 1H 0M	Thu February 28 1H 0M	Fri February 29 1H 0M	Sat March 01 1H 0M	4H 0M
2/17/2008 - 2/23/2008	Sun February 17 1H 0M	Mon February 18 1H 0M	Tue February 19 1H 0M	Wed February 20 1H 0M	Thu February 21 0H 0M	Fri February 22 0H 0M	Sat February 23 1H 0M	5H 0M
2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008	Sun February 10 1H 0M	Mon February 11 1H 0M	Tue February 12 1H 0M	Wed February 13 1H 0M	Thu February 14 1H 0M	Fri February 15 0H 0M	Sat February 16 0H 0M	5H 0M
2/3/2008 - 2/9/2008	Sun February 03 1H 0M	Mon February 04 1H 0M	Tue February 05 1H 0M	Wed February 06 0H 0M	Thu February 07 0H 0M	Fri February 08 1H 0M	Sat February 09 1H 0M	5H 0M
1/27/2008 - 2/2/2008	Sun January 27 0H 0M	Mon January 28 1H 0M	Tue January 29 1H 0M	Wed January 30 1H 0M	Thu January 31 1H 0M	Fri February 01 1H 0M	Sat February 02 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/20/2008 - 1/26/2008	Sun January 20 1H 0M	Mon January 21 1H 0M	Tue January 22 0H 0M	Wed January 23 1H 0M	Thu January 24 1H 0M	Fri January 25 1H 0M	Sat January 26 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/13/2008 - 1/19/2008	Sun January 13 1H 30M	Mon January 14 1H 0M	Tue January 15 0H 0M	Wed January 16 1H 0M	Thu January 17 1H 0M	Fri January 18 1H 0M	Sat January 19 1H 0M	6H 30M

Week Start Date: Sunday, March 09, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Monday, March 10, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Lesson: Mm-Nn-Ng-Nn-Mm; Em-En-Eng-En-Em; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'; 'Mopoke' Alfred Hill
Friday, March 14, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Mm-Nn-Ng-Nn-Mm; Em-En-Eng-En-Em; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'; 'Mopoke' Alfred Hill
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Mm-Nn-Ng-Nn-Mm; Em-En-Eng-En-Em; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'; 'Mopoke' Alfred Hill
Total Hours For Week:	3 hours and 0 minutes
Average Hours Per Day:	0 hours and 26 minutes
Notes:	Busy, tired week.

Dates	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Total
3/2/2008 - 3/8/2008	Sun March 02 1H 0M	Mon March 03 1H 0M	Tue March 04 0H 0M	Wed March 05 1H 0M	Thu March 06 0H 0M	Fri March 07 1H 0M	Sat March 08 0H 0M	4H 0M
2/24/2008 - 3/1/2008	Sun February 24 0H 0M	Mon February 25 0H 0M	Tue February 26 0H 0M	Wed February 27 1H 0M	Thu February 28 1H 0M	Fri February 29 1H 0M	Sat March 01 1H 0M	4H 0M
2/17/2008 - 2/23/2008	Sun February 17 1H 0M	Mon February 18 1H 0M	Tue February 19 1H 0M	Wed February 20 1H 0M	Thu February 21 0H 0M	Fri February 22 0H 0M	Sat February 23 1H 0M	5H 0M
2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008	Sun February 10 1H 0M	Mon February 11 1H 0M	Tue February 12 1H 0M	Wed February 13 1H 0M	Thu February 14 1H 0M	Fri February 15 0H 0M	Sat February 16 0H 0M	5H 0M
2/3/2008 - 2/9/2008	Sun February 03 1H 0M	Mon February 04 1H 0M	Tue February 05 1H 0M	Wed February 06 0H 0M	Thu February 07 0H 0M	Fri February 08 1H 0M	Sat February 09 1H 0M	5H 0M
1/27/2008 - 2/2/2008	Sun January 27 0H 0M	Mon January 28 1H 0M	Tue January 29 1H 0M	Wed January 30 1H 0M	Thu January 31 1H 0M	Fri February 01 1H 0M	Sat February 02 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/20/2008 - 1/26/2008	Sun January 20 1H 0M	Mon January 21 1H 0M	Tue January 22 0H 0M	Wed January 23 1H 0M	Thu January 24 1H 0M	Fri January 25 1H 0M	Sat January 26 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/13/2008 - 1/19/2008	Sun January 13 1H 30M	Mon January 14 1H 0M	Tue January 15 0H 0M	Wed January 16 1H 0M	Thu January 17 1H 0M	Fri January 18 1H 0M	Sat January 19 1H 0M	6H 30M

Week Start Date: Sunday, March 02, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, 'Messa di Voce' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'
Monday, March 03, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, 'Messa di Voce' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	WARM-UP - ELASTICITY; GRADE 7 TECH; 'Das Veilchen' Mozart; 'Mai' Faure; 'Ici Bas' Faure; 'Roses Song' Gilbert & Sullivan
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Friday, March 07, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Warm Up; Vocalese Excercise; Concone Vocalese Portamento; Grade7 Tech Page 2; Care Selve; Mopoke
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Total Hours For Week:	4 hours and 0 minutes
Average Hours Per Day:	0 hours and 34 minutes
Notes:

Today I gave a 15 minute presentation on the pre-production and production of the Alarum song Remote Viewing, for 20% credit in the Apply Music Knowledge & Artistic Judgment subject. (There's a pretentious subject name.) I based my talk on a combination of research from secondary sources, my existing published writing about the band (interviews and review), the Eventuality recording, three pre-production demos, and primary sources -- interviews with Scott, Mark, and Theron. (Theron answered his phone, despite my calling from a private number! Which takes string-pulling!! Thanks, string-puller!!!)

I got 20/20. Which means for this subject, I haven't lost any points yet! (Which means I kicked arse, just quietly.)

Must send little thank you cards to my interviewees, who tolerated a lot of detailed questioning.

Add that to my massive backlogue of "shit to send out to the world".

But today I got my 20%, and that's OK. And it's enough to flog in the blog for today, because I saw every hour roll by on the clock last night. Couldn't switch off after all those interviews. I am wiped tonight.

Dates	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Total
2/24/2008 - 3/1/2008	Sun February 24 0H 0M	Mon February 25 0H 0M	Tue February 26 0H 0M	Wed February 27 1H 0M	Thu February 28 1H 0M	Fri February 29 1H 0M	Sat March 01 1H 0M	4H 0M
2/17/2008 - 2/23/2008	Sun February 17 1H 0M	Mon February 18 1H 0M	Tue February 19 1H 0M	Wed February 20 1H 0M	Thu February 21 0H 0M	Fri February 22 0H 0M	Sat February 23 1H 0M	5H 0M
2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008	Sun February 10 1H 0M	Mon February 11 1H 0M	Tue February 12 1H 0M	Wed February 13 1H 0M	Thu February 14 1H 0M	Fri February 15 0H 0M	Sat February 16 0H 0M	5H 0M
2/3/2008 - 2/9/2008	Sun February 03 1H 0M	Mon February 04 1H 0M	Tue February 05 1H 0M	Wed February 06 0H 0M	Thu February 07 0H 0M	Fri February 08 1H 0M	Sat February 09 1H 0M	5H 0M
1/27/2008 - 2/2/2008	Sun January 27 0H 0M	Mon January 28 1H 0M	Tue January 29 1H 0M	Wed January 30 1H 0M	Thu January 31 1H 0M	Fri February 01 1H 0M	Sat February 02 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/20/2008 - 1/26/2008	Sun January 20 1H 0M	Mon January 21 1H 0M	Tue January 22 0H 0M	Wed January 23 1H 0M	Thu January 24 1H 0M	Fri January 25 1H 0M	Sat January 26 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/13/2008 - 1/19/2008	Sun January 13 1H 30M	Mon January 14 1H 0M	Tue January 15 0H 0M	Wed January 16 1H 0M	Thu January 17 1H 0M	Fri January 18 1H 0M	Sat January 19 1H 0M	6H 30M

Sunday, February 24, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Monday, February 25, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Lesson: Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, ''Messa di Voce'' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative ''Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt''; J.S.Bach Aria ''Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken''
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, ''Messa di Voce'' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative ''Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt''; J.S.Bach Aria ''Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken''
Friday, February 29, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, ''Messa di Voce'' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative ''Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt''; J.S.Bach Aria ''Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken''
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Vocalese Warm-Up; Bella Signora, ''Messa di Voce'' Vocalese #1 of 15 S.Marchesi, Chromatic, J.S.Bach Recitative ''Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt''; J.S.Bach Aria ''Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken''
Total Hours For Week:	4 hours and 0 minutes
Average Hours Per Day:	0 hours and 34 minutes
Notes:

I had a Protools assessment this morning -- stressful, as I'm *really* not up to the same knowledge level as the RMIT continuing students. I spent two and a half hours in the library last night, cross-referencing any unfamiliar phrases in the practice assessment against a stack of books. Which doesn't really work as a catch up, but it's better than doing nothing. (I did learn a few totally new things, and figure out how to do them in the program.)

Really trying not to stress out about it, but it's something of a final insult that Pog Hill doesn't prepare their students to go elsewhere at any exit point. But that would be putting the students before the almighty $. Why do that, when you can divvy out the knowledge into as many small packets as possible, and attach simply huge price tags to them? For a lark put some goon at the front of each class. A goon who can cross his arms. And flap his lips. Flap. Flap. Flap. It fills the duration of the class up with SOMETHING all right, but is it really teaching?

The great excuse is held up, again and again -

"O, you do end up teaching yourself - but that's what it's like in industry."

The industry of completely pox teaching, perhaps? Or the industry of being a money-grubbing arsehole? Aren't those related disciplines?

Anyway - I struggled through the Protools assessment today, barely.

My teacher for the Create A Final Sound Balance subject -- John Phillips -- invited me to sit in on a first year subject called Digital Editing, which I've just done. This is kind of the equivalent of the subject a certain goon made gestures toward teaching at Pog Hill. Completely inane gestures - babbling at rapid-fire pace, in an unbelievably boring un-modulated voice (which makes one seriously question the depth of the guys musicality), and prefacing his very first verbal info dump with, "Now I only want to say this once, and I don't want any stupid questions when I finish." (Because that would be no reflection of his pedagogical shortcomings.)

When I requested print learning materials from the goon (because he was so horrible to follow verbally), I got the *genius* answer, "No, I can't write anything down, because that would imply there are no other ways into the program."

It's the Fahrenheit 451 approach to music education.

I'm getting a fresh perspective - this is going to mean some purgative rants. To clean out the gunk and trauma. I really hope I can kick off the censorship vibe - because if I write this shit out, it'll be easier to write other things.

Anyway, the class today on Logic was awesome. Coherently structured, intelligently articulated, and with sufficient support material in both prac exercises and written learning materials to - you know - be an actual lesson.

How refreshing.

Dates	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Total
2/17/2008 - 2/23/2008	Sun February 17 1H 0M	Mon February 18 1H 0M	Tue February 19 1H 0M	Wed February 20 1H 0M	Thu February 21 0H 0M	Fri February 22 0H 0M	Sat February 23 1H 0M	5H 0M
2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008	Sun February 10 1H 0M	Mon February 11 1H 0M	Tue February 12 1H 0M	Wed February 13 1H 0M	Thu February 14 1H 0M	Fri February 15 0H 0M	Sat February 16 0H 0M	5H 0M
2/3/2008 - 2/9/2008	Sun February 03 1H 0M	Mon February 04 1H 0M	Tue February 05 1H 0M	Wed February 06 0H 0M	Thu February 07 0H 0M	Fri February 08 1H 0M	Sat February 09 1H 0M	5H 0M
1/27/2008 - 2/2/2008	Sun January 27 0H 0M	Mon January 28 1H 0M	Tue January 29 1H 0M	Wed January 30 1H 0M	Thu January 31 1H 0M	Fri February 01 1H 0M	Sat February 02 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/20/2008 - 1/26/2008	Sun January 20 1H 0M	Mon January 21 1H 0M	Tue January 22 0H 0M	Wed January 23 1H 0M	Thu January 24 1H 0M	Fri January 25 1H 0M	Sat January 26 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/13/2008 - 1/19/2008	Sun January 13 1H 30M	Mon January 14 1H 0M	Tue January 15 0H 0M	Wed January 16 1H 0M	Thu January 17 1H 0M	Fri January 18 1H 0M	Sat January 19 1H 0M	6H 30M

Week Start Date: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Warm Up: Bill''''s Invention + My Love Can Dance & Sing; ''''Note ripetute'''' Vocalise #9 S. Marchesi; ''''Verborgenheit'''' Mörike Lieder, No. 12 Hugo Wolf; ''''Mai'''' Gabriel Fauré; ''''Mopoke'''' Alfred Hall
Monday, February 18, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Warm Up; AMEB Grade7 Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Chromatic Scales, Tech; 'Care Selve' George Frideric Handel; 'Music for a while shall all your cares beguile' by Henry Purcell; 'Mopoke' Alfred Hill
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Burble Warm Up; AMEB Grade 7 Tech; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken'
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	Lesson: "Strauss 1 + 2" [Bills Inventions]; AMEB Grade 7 & 6 Tech; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken' (major & minor)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Friday, February 22, 2008
Practice Time:	0 hours and 0 minutes
Practiced:
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Practice Time:	1 hour and 0 minutes
Practiced:	"Strauss 1 + 2" [Bills Inventions]; AMEB Grade 7 & 6 Tech; J.S.Bach Recitative 'Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt'; J.S.Bach Aria 'Ich will Dir mein Herze schenken' (major & minor)
Total Hours For Week:	5 hours and 0 minutes
Average Hours Per Day:	0 hours and 43 minutes
Notes:

Dates	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Total
2/10/2008 - 2/16/2008	Sun February 10 1H 0M	Mon February 11 1H 0M	Tue February 12 1H 0M	Wed February 13 1H 0M	Thu February 14 1H 0M	Fri February 15 0H 0M	Sat February 16 0H 0M	5H 0M
2/3/2008 - 2/9/2008	Sun February 03 1H 0M	Mon February 04 1H 0M	Tue February 05 1H 0M	Wed February 06 0H 0M	Thu February 07 0H 0M	Fri February 08 1H 0M	Sat February 09 1H 0M	5H 0M
1/27/2008 - 2/2/2008	Sun January 27 0H 0M	Mon January 28 1H 0M	Tue January 29 1H 0M	Wed January 30 1H 0M	Thu January 31 1H 0M	Fri February 01 1H 0M	Sat February 02 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/20/2008 - 1/26/2008	Sun January 20 1H 0M	Mon January 21 1H 0M	Tue January 22 0H 0M	Wed January 23 1H 0M	Thu January 24 1H 0M	Fri January 25 1H 0M	Sat January 26 0H 0M	5H 0M
1/13/2008 - 1/19/2008	Sun January 13 1H 30M	Mon January 14 1H 0M	Tue January 15 0H 0M	Wed January 16 1H 0M	Thu January 17 1H 0M	Fri January 18 1H 0M	Sat January 19 1H 0M	6H 30M