I just read through my “reflections on 2020” post and I feel much the same about 2020. 2021 was a steady-state year as well. 

I’m wrapping up my 3rd year at SMU. Although I feel solid in my job duties, I still feel “new” here. I think, because of the pandemic, I’m still getting to know people. I moved to a new state and job, settled in for a year, then WHAM, pandemic, just as I was planning to ramp up my networking and such.

In last year’s post, I reflected on my slowing composition output. This year was even slower. I finished a thousand candles in early January, and since have written not a single note, recorded not a single sound. It’s frustrating, even if it’s purely from lack of time.

So what did I do? Last year I could point to certain events, like a virtual residency and virtual workshop. This year I just…worked.

I have a full-time job, which I feel competent at, and my duties are starting to expand. I have also been adjunct teaching. So even though I don’t have a certificate or anything to show off, my teaching/coaching skills are becoming sharper.

I wrote a paper which made it through one round of peer review. I’m waiting for the next round. I revamped my Fundamentals of Audio class and I think I have some kind of open-access book in the making there.

While this blog has fewer posts this year, I think what I published is important and helpful. I grouped posts into two series: Auxiliary Skills for Musicians and Music & Academia (In or Out). The next series I’m working toward has to do with “composing a class.”

Otherwise, I’m full of ideas, I just need another me to complete them. Maybe they’ll invent cloning in 2022.