Oh wow! I’m trying to imagine how the upright bass fits in a Fit, add three people and you’ve blown my mind. Take a picture. ? My son played bass for a year in 5th grade before switching to cello. The 1/4 bass fit in the minivan with a seat folded but I was glad he switched to cello, if only for easier logistics.
Sounds like a fun summer for your son.
We are very ‘proud’ of our travel system. It is a 2016 Fit. We fold down the 60% back seat and first lay down the electric bass case flat in that area. Then we sit the upright bass on its side on top of that with the neck going between the two front seats - with bridge facing driver’s side. The amp goes behind the rear passenger, in the cargo area. That is the key to it all. Everything else packed in soft cases or garbage bags fills in the cracks.
Keyword … Fit! Kudos @GoForth and S! Way to go and here’s to wishing for a great summer
We just met with S and visited the Chairy Orchard in Denton. He returned to his place to study for a Monday final in Music History.
I may not have mentioned, but for a fee of about $67 you can get last semester’s grade distribution data, which someone on reddit did for UNT. I looked over the data and saw which classes gave most people A’s and which classes were stingy with A’s. I informed S like a semester or so ago that certain classes were going to be stingy. So he knew that in advance, so that if got a B, he wouldn’t have to be surprised, or if he wanted an A, he would know to apply a bit more focus to those classes. Music History is one of those classes where ‘B’ is the most popular grade, with C’s and A’s following behind. So he has been going for the ‘A’. Several classmates however simply did not prioritize that class as high.
Tomorrow is storage-unit visit day. We have never done a storage unit. So that will be new but presumably easy.
I feel like I made a couple fumbled attempts in the past to create a “What do they do in the Summer” thread because other than festivals and camps and Drum Corps, I never knew what college music students did in the summer. So I would like to plant a seed or at least say what we are doing in case it can spark an idea for another musician. S connected to the Windish Entertainment group that books/creates acts at them parks and cruise ships, and that is how he found this summer job.
Very impressed with how you fit everything in the Fit!
Had no idea schools published grade distributions, free or otherwise. Very interesting.
My D rented a storage unit a couple of summers ago near Austin. She shared it with another student. No problems, just an additional charge or two, like a dehumidification gadget. She handled it, so not sure of the additional cost. It was an indoor place with air conditioning and just a small unit.
I appreciate hearing what other music students do in the summer, I had no idea, looking at the semester by semester plan, at least some summer school is in my son’s future.
S did a semester of summer school at the end of his first year mostly because we had no better idea what to do with that time. One possibly good idea would be to take 2 semesters’ worth of music theory / aural skills in the summer - yes it can be done, and that may allow starting other classes where theory was a pre-req.
My two non-musicians have spent summers doing a volunteer internship with a nonprofit (outstanding experience and great resume builder), a study abroad, several paid internships, and an REU. What they haven’t done is come home. We parents didn’t expect that when the first one left for college. We will see with music kid.
@GoForth that’s exactly what mine is doing this summer at UNT. She wants those classes to be her only focus and get them done.
@gkase - Here was S’s summer schedule last year (see below). He had a skew in his theory/aural because he tested out of one semester of theory.The summer is divided into subsection, so he was taking these courses between 2 8-week sessions.
PSCI2305 Political Behavior
MUTH2410 Aural Skills 3
MUTH2500 Theory 4
MUTH2510 Aural Skills 4
PSCI2306 Constitutions
@gkase - in Post #668, I believe I should have said 5-week sessions.
@goforth can you please send me a message, I have a few questions and do not have enough post to send you a message. Thank you
Yes. Sent.
@GoForth , my son just finished up freshman year in VP, and taking two required music classes first half of the summer to get them out of the way.
We have made it to Hershey. Roads really aren’t flat and on a grid here are they. S checked in with the office, and we got him set up with some food and supplies in his hershey-arrenged apartment, which is really nice. His first group meeting is at 9am tomorrow.
Of interest - I heard UNT is looking at dropping the 9:00 lab band next semester, leaving only 8 lab bands of the big-band variety. And 4 large vocal jazz ensembles, and a couple guitar lab bands, and the Latin lab band, and the Zebras.
S and bandmates now have their show memorized at the Hershey Park. I think it is 30 tunes from the Earth, Wind, and Fire thru Bruno Mars variety. In a job such as this, it is helpful to know how the play, sing, and move around on stage, in case anyone likes such an option in their future.
News of the day suggests that, for the type of show S is doing this summer, it pays to be in good physical shape. So, if undecided what to do with some spare time, then in addition to playing, singing, and learning some dance moves, it seems that exercising could pay off.
Lol! Sounds like your son is getting a workout! He be fit by the end of the summer.
Yeah. I figure it may come up for some percentage of music majors, so if they want to think about the possibility and plan ahead, here is something to consider. Luckily, he is among the more fit of folks.
It’s come up with my son. He just had a leading role in his HS musical. Heavily choreographed with tons of dance. It was many weeks of enforced cardio for a kid who just doesn’t usually get winded in choir or orchestra. It was good for him.