In the spirit of the upcoming Oscars and my upcoming exam, here are my nominations for some awards from the history of music theory:
Best name: Rocco Rodio (or, if you restrict it to major theorists, Guido d'Arezzo)
Most famous based on a relative: Vincenzo Galilei
Best footnote: the footnote to Rameau's (inaccurate) claim that he is the first to recognize chordal inversion ("On this point, see all other treatises on music")
...more to come (maybe?)...
Well, it had to come sometime: the end of our birthday celebration(s). Last weekend we went to Indianapolis to celebrate with Grandma Chenette (whose birthday is the day after mine), then we went out to eat on Wednesday, and then Sara's family came down from Friday till today. Before today, when I looked at what was going on in our lives, I saw a qualifying exam in the distant future, slightly obscured by a haze of celebrations and partying. Now, I look ahead, and see quite clearly: on Tuesday, I receive the "prepare-ahead" materials for half of my exam, and then I take the whole exam on March 1. In between now and then is just normal life: studying and preparing all day, broken up by preparing to teach/teaching/grading and cooking. (Well, obviously, there will be the occasional get-together with good friends, puzzling with Sara, etc.--I'm not saying it's all bad!)
I'm at the point where it's hard to get really motivated, because I feel like my knowledge is pretty good, and anything studied at this point probably will help me on the exam (filling in gaps), but equally probably will also delete itself from my mind the minute it's over. Fortunately, I think getting the prepared materials on Tuesday will help motivate me.
So I'm headed into the final stretch! Well, except for the oral exam, and then, of course, actually writing the dissertation. I think when I get my degree, my elation at completing this long stage of training will be matched by my bewilderment that such a day would ever arrive.
