The first college that I attended was Kansas City Kansas Community College, where I studied Music technology. While there, I learned how to compose music using computers and electronics. This opened up a new realm of possibilities for me and my music. If a piece was to difficult to play, all I had to do was make the instrumentation for MIDI, and all would be fine. I didn't have to rework any of my compositions. I was free to compose whatever I wanted. My professors were supportive of my art. They did not make me rework any of my pieces, even though they were technically impossible. By making the pieces for MIDI, they would be possible. I remember in one piece that I wrote, I had written a cluster that included every note on the piano. While not impossible, for two or more performers, it would be difficult for the tempo. Many of my pieces were like this while at the community college. I took a particular liking to 20th century music. The harsh dissonances really struck a chord if you will ( I know, bad pun).
Next, I attended Fort Hays State University. Here I studied Music composition. Here, I struggled to complete all of my classes as I was unaware of some of the minuscule asks required to complete all of my coursework. One such class was recital attendance. THis class had a lot of small requirements in order to receive a passing grade. To make it worse, the class was a pass/fail class. All I knew was I had to attend twelve concerts throughout the course of the semester. That was not entirely true because each concert was assigned a point value. What I had to do was attend twelve points worth of concerts. And there were always three concerts that were required for a passing grade. finally I figured that out and passed the class.My music composing skills continued to mature and become refined. by the end of my collegiate career, I had composed over one hundred pieces for various media. Mostly piano sonatas and solo piano works.
Finally, after eight years in college, I finished.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Jobs
Like most people, I've had my share of good jobs as well as more than a few terrible jobs.
Through high school. I was a camp counselor for the Boy Scouts. One summer I was a janitor for a place that wholesaled fish and small lizards to pet stores. For that, I had to clean all of the fish tanks every week. As soon as I finished with the last one, it was time to start over at the first again. Until I was "Promoted, and got a desk job organizing invoices and documenting them. One day, I noticed an invoice with the name "Weird Al" Yankovic. I wondered if it was actually him but I never did find out.
At the Boy Scout camp, I taught the wilderness survival, pioneering, and orienteering merit badges. As well as the fireman chit (fire safety), and totin' chip (knife, and axe safety) classes. I remember all of the strict rules. the counselors had cabins that we stayed in during the camp sessions. wake-up call was every morning at 6 with breakfast at 6:30. Then I taught three classes in the morning. Then Lunch at noon. We had three more classes in the afternoon and dinner was at 6:00. Evenings we had free to hang out in the staff village. we had a basketball court on a cement slab with only one goal.
During community college, I was a work-study for the music department during the semester. And customer service in the bookstore during the summer. These two jobs were by far the two best jobs I've had. For the work study position, I was basically passed around from office to office among the music department doing miscellaneous office chores (copies, faxes, etc.)
I remained unemployed throughout my time at the university until my final semesters. This is where I started to get terrible jobs. This is because all of the jobs in a college town in the middle of nowhere are food service. I absolutely hated all of my jobs in food service. First was a job as a runner in the dorm cafeteria. I would cook stir-fry, make sandwiches, and clean the dining room. After I was laid off, I took a job at the local Taco Bell. It was a little better, but not much. I was in charge of taking orders and cleaning the dining room and bathrooms.
Finally, I did the same thing that I did at Taco Bell at Burger King. Absolutely hated it. My manager was the worst boss I've ever had. He was always blaming my disability for sub-par work performance. When in actuality it was because he did not make accommodations for me. The other managers could see that I needed accommodations and helped me out a little with the tasks I had to perform. But not nearly enough to get my work performance up. So, I was fired because of my disability.
Through high school. I was a camp counselor for the Boy Scouts. One summer I was a janitor for a place that wholesaled fish and small lizards to pet stores. For that, I had to clean all of the fish tanks every week. As soon as I finished with the last one, it was time to start over at the first again. Until I was "Promoted, and got a desk job organizing invoices and documenting them. One day, I noticed an invoice with the name "Weird Al" Yankovic. I wondered if it was actually him but I never did find out.
At the Boy Scout camp, I taught the wilderness survival, pioneering, and orienteering merit badges. As well as the fireman chit (fire safety), and totin' chip (knife, and axe safety) classes. I remember all of the strict rules. the counselors had cabins that we stayed in during the camp sessions. wake-up call was every morning at 6 with breakfast at 6:30. Then I taught three classes in the morning. Then Lunch at noon. We had three more classes in the afternoon and dinner was at 6:00. Evenings we had free to hang out in the staff village. we had a basketball court on a cement slab with only one goal.
During community college, I was a work-study for the music department during the semester. And customer service in the bookstore during the summer. These two jobs were by far the two best jobs I've had. For the work study position, I was basically passed around from office to office among the music department doing miscellaneous office chores (copies, faxes, etc.)
I remained unemployed throughout my time at the university until my final semesters. This is where I started to get terrible jobs. This is because all of the jobs in a college town in the middle of nowhere are food service. I absolutely hated all of my jobs in food service. First was a job as a runner in the dorm cafeteria. I would cook stir-fry, make sandwiches, and clean the dining room. After I was laid off, I took a job at the local Taco Bell. It was a little better, but not much. I was in charge of taking orders and cleaning the dining room and bathrooms.
Finally, I did the same thing that I did at Taco Bell at Burger King. Absolutely hated it. My manager was the worst boss I've ever had. He was always blaming my disability for sub-par work performance. When in actuality it was because he did not make accommodations for me. The other managers could see that I needed accommodations and helped me out a little with the tasks I had to perform. But not nearly enough to get my work performance up. So, I was fired because of my disability.
Friday, August 2, 2013
High school
During high school, since I could not play sports, I was the manager of the Girl's basketball team. At first it was against my will. But eventually, I began to love the job. I was a high school aged male surrounded by women every day after school. I really identified with the girls better than I did with the boys. Being a teenage boy constantly surrounded by women was a dream come true.
Also, I was stage maintenance for the drama club. my grades were average for a high school student.
Of course I had all of the usual teenage angst that comes with being a teenager. Fights with my parents and all of the usual teenage stuff as well.
I started dating a cheerleader when I was a junior. She was the hottest girl in my class. I was flabbergasted when she said she wanted to date me. We did all of the normal teenage stuff. I finally started to feel normal again. By this point, I had regained all of the use that was going to return to my left hand. I still could not grab things with my left hand. My piano skills continued to grow and I started to compose a little.
By now, my growing condition started to manifest more fully. My left foot grew to size 15 men, while my right foot only grew to size 11 men. My left leg also did not grow as fast as my right leg. So, by the time I was a senior, my left foot was four sizes larger than my right, while my left leg was 2 inches shorter than my right. This meant that I hat to buy two pairs of shoes or have them special ordered.
I lettered for managing the girl's basketball team and for drama club. As a senior, I decided that I wanted to study music in college. So, I applied for the program at KCKCC. I got in and received a performance grant for 6 semesters.
Also, I was stage maintenance for the drama club. my grades were average for a high school student.
Of course I had all of the usual teenage angst that comes with being a teenager. Fights with my parents and all of the usual teenage stuff as well.
I started dating a cheerleader when I was a junior. She was the hottest girl in my class. I was flabbergasted when she said she wanted to date me. We did all of the normal teenage stuff. I finally started to feel normal again. By this point, I had regained all of the use that was going to return to my left hand. I still could not grab things with my left hand. My piano skills continued to grow and I started to compose a little.
By now, my growing condition started to manifest more fully. My left foot grew to size 15 men, while my right foot only grew to size 11 men. My left leg also did not grow as fast as my right leg. So, by the time I was a senior, my left foot was four sizes larger than my right, while my left leg was 2 inches shorter than my right. This meant that I hat to buy two pairs of shoes or have them special ordered.
I lettered for managing the girl's basketball team and for drama club. As a senior, I decided that I wanted to study music in college. So, I applied for the program at KCKCC. I got in and received a performance grant for 6 semesters.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Boy Scouts
I was always involved in scouting. Both cub scouts and Boy Scouts. In fifth grade, about the time one transfers from cub scouts into boy scouts is the year that I lost the use of my left hand. some accommodations had to be made in order for me to be able to climb the ranks.
For the tenderfoot rank (the first rank in scouting), one of the requirements is to demonstrate a push up and a situp as well as a chin-up. Requirements like that were the ones that I had to have modified, or waved.
Second class( the second rank in scouting) was pretty simple, there were no physical fitness requirements.
First class (the third rank in scouting also had physical requirements (a swimming test, and a running test requirement) both of these had to be waived.
Star tank (the fourth rank in scouting) took a lot longer than I anticipated, because it was this rank that merit badged were a requirement. I already had a plan of what merit badges I wanted to take. Most of them were easy ones that did not require use of both hands. Badges like:reading, music, computer science, and astronomy were badges that I earned the easiest.
Merit badges could have specific requirements waved as well by the discretion of the merit badge counselor. In specific, I remember having most of the requirements for the badge 'Personal fitness' waived. Most of the requirements were physical exercises that I could not complete with only one working hand.
Fortunately, for Eagle scout, there are merit badges that are one of two or three badges. One specific case that I can recall is in the case of 'cycling, or hiking, or swimming. With my condition, I obviously couldn't swim. And cycling was difficult. So, I opted to take the hiking merit badge. One of the requirements is to take five ten mile hikes. and another is to take one twenty mile hike. My counselor was able to waive the twenty mile hike. All I had to do was to go on the five ten mile hikes, whick I was able to complete relatively easily.
Another instance of alternative badges was in the case of emergency preparedness, and Lifesaving. several of the requirements for the lifesaving merit badge is to demonstrate how to save someone from drowning. I of course not able to swim, could not do this requirement.
All that was required in the way of merit badges for the rank of Life was a total of five more, with three of those coming from the list of required merit badges. for reference, the list of merit badges required for Eagle is:
During my high school years, I also was admitted into the Order of the Arrow, which is National Honor Society for the Boy Scouts. While I never did make it to the highest level of Order of the Arrow, I did make it pretty far. To the rank of Brotherhood.
Tenderfoot
For the tenderfoot rank (the first rank in scouting), one of the requirements is to demonstrate a push up and a situp as well as a chin-up. Requirements like that were the ones that I had to have modified, or waved.
Second class
Second class( the second rank in scouting) was pretty simple, there were no physical fitness requirements.
First class
First class (the third rank in scouting also had physical requirements (a swimming test, and a running test requirement) both of these had to be waived.
Star
Star tank (the fourth rank in scouting) took a lot longer than I anticipated, because it was this rank that merit badged were a requirement. I already had a plan of what merit badges I wanted to take. Most of them were easy ones that did not require use of both hands. Badges like:reading, music, computer science, and astronomy were badges that I earned the easiest.
Merit badges could have specific requirements waved as well by the discretion of the merit badge counselor. In specific, I remember having most of the requirements for the badge 'Personal fitness' waived. Most of the requirements were physical exercises that I could not complete with only one working hand.
Fortunately, for Eagle scout, there are merit badges that are one of two or three badges. One specific case that I can recall is in the case of 'cycling, or hiking, or swimming. With my condition, I obviously couldn't swim. And cycling was difficult. So, I opted to take the hiking merit badge. One of the requirements is to take five ten mile hikes. and another is to take one twenty mile hike. My counselor was able to waive the twenty mile hike. All I had to do was to go on the five ten mile hikes, whick I was able to complete relatively easily.
Another instance of alternative badges was in the case of emergency preparedness, and Lifesaving. several of the requirements for the lifesaving merit badge is to demonstrate how to save someone from drowning. I of course not able to swim, could not do this requirement.
Life
All that was required in the way of merit badges for the rank of Life was a total of five more, with three of those coming from the list of required merit badges. for reference, the list of merit badges required for Eagle is:
- First Aid
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in the World
- Communication
- Personal Fitness
- Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving
- Environmental Science
- Personal Management
- Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling
- Camping
- Family Life
Eagle
By far Eagle Scout was the most difficult rank to attain. it required ten more merit badges for a total of twenty-one. And a service project that I had to plan, delegate and implement all by myself. I decided to build some benches around the school for parents to sit on while they were waiting for school to dismiss.
Ad alteri dei
During my whole career as a scout (cub scouts and boy scouts), I received three medals for religious studies. The first was 'Light of Christ.' Followed by 'Parvuli Dei.' (Children of God) Finally, 'Ad altari Dei.' (To the altar of God) During my high school years, I also was admitted into the Order of the Arrow, which is National Honor Society for the Boy Scouts. While I never did make it to the highest level of Order of the Arrow, I did make it pretty far. To the rank of Brotherhood.
Brotherhood
Which is the second of three ranks in the Order of the Arrow. For admission into the order of the Arrow, one must complete an ordeal. Mine was manual labor on scant food. The overseers were kind enough to give me the light work, cleaning etc.
Music
From the time I was in kindergarten, I had played the piano. It was a big part of my life back then and is a big part of my life now. After the summer of 1996, I had to take a year off for rehab. When I returned to my lessons, we had to figure out how I could play with only partial use of my left hand. Most one-hand repertoire is for left hand because a pianist's right hand is most often the one to get injured. But, in my case, I lost my left hand. Together, we figured out pieces that I would be able to play with only one finger in the left hand part. Most of the pieces were simple pieces with only one note in the left hand at a time. Pieces such as Canon in D by Pachalbel were the majority of my repertoire. Until my eighth grad year when I started to discover all of the world of piano music more fully. I wanted to start playing more complex pieces. I remember starting to learn Hungarian Rhapsodie #2 by Liszt. For some parts of the piece, I had to play both parts with my right hand. In most cases I had to transpose the left hand part up to the right hand range. I would play only important notes in the left hand and all of the other notes with my right hand. Eventually, I got really good at picking out what to play with which hand. I started to love the instrument.
By the time I was a freshman in High school, I was playing pieces like Rachmaninoff Prelude in C, transcribed for right handed piano.
For reference, here are the two pieces, I've mentioned so far.
Pachalbel Canon in D
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodie #2
Rachmaninoff Prelude in C sharp minor.
My senior year in high school I decided to pursue a career in music. I wanted to compose for a living. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had already composed ten pieces. As I began to study music in college, I began to love it even more. By the time I was in college, I was playing pieces like Moussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" for right handed piano. My professors in college thought it would be best if I completely omitted my left hand from the piece entirely. I refused and continued to play with two hands.
I complied sort of and began to play simpler pieces, such as Chopin's prelude in c minor.
Chopin Prelude in C minor Op.23 #20
Once out of College, I started to play more complicated pieces again. Now, most of my time is devoted to composing. Here is a piece that I composed. I'm also performing it in this video.
Sonata in C
Here is another one that I composed, but I am not the one playing it here.
Frantic.
By the time I was a freshman in High school, I was playing pieces like Rachmaninoff Prelude in C, transcribed for right handed piano.
For reference, here are the two pieces, I've mentioned so far.
My senior year in high school I decided to pursue a career in music. I wanted to compose for a living. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had already composed ten pieces. As I began to study music in college, I began to love it even more. By the time I was in college, I was playing pieces like Moussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" for right handed piano. My professors in college thought it would be best if I completely omitted my left hand from the piece entirely. I refused and continued to play with two hands.
I complied sort of and began to play simpler pieces, such as Chopin's prelude in c minor.
Once out of College, I started to play more complicated pieces again. Now, most of my time is devoted to composing. Here is a piece that I composed. I'm also performing it in this video.
Here is another one that I composed, but I am not the one playing it here.
The day it all began
The day it all began.
The day is June 10th, 1996. I awoke early in the morning complaining of the worst headache I ever had. My mother went to go get some medicine to help take the headache away. When she came back I was having seizures. I had had an aneurysm in my brain. She called an ambulance. At the hospital, I had five CAT scans and fifteen MRIs before the doctors figured out what had happened. There was a malformation of veins and arteries that had popped. I spent a month and a half in a coma while the doctors planned the best course of action.
after I had awoke from my coma and the pressure in my brain had gone down enough. The doctors decided that the only course of action was to remove the cluster of ruptured veins and arteries. around July 15th I had my craniotomy to remove the AVM (arteriovenous malformation). Once I woke up from the surgery, I had a year of physical therapy to recover.
During my fourth grade academic year, I was in school for about twenty minutes in the morning before I went to rehab, and maybe an hour at the end of the day after rehab. I didn't get to see my friends much during the school year either.
I was an outsider now. shunned by all of the kids for a year, like I had some sort of disease. All of this when I was nine years old.
Once I had learned to walk again (with the help of a leg brace (that I still wear to this day)) and I regained most of the use of my left hand, I was able to go back to school for my fifth grade academic year. I wasn't allowed to participate in P.E. for obvious reasons. During fifth grade, I wore a five pound weight on my left leg to help strengthen my leg. By this point a few years had passed, I was now in the seventh grade.
I was almost back to normal, but, I still wasn't able to use my thumb on my left hand. Doctors suggested that I have a tendon transfer on my arm to hopefully help regain some motion in my thumb. At this time, they also suggested a tendon lengthening in my left leg to help me walk.
I had to go to St. Louis Missouri to the Shriner's children's hospital for those two surgeries to be performed. While I was in St. Louis, I met all kinds of people with similar stories. I was also introduced to Recreational therapy. The recreational therapy room was different from the other therapy rooms. It was much smaller, and there were no mats (at least that I can remember). The room was filled with all sorts of play things. One of the best was the brand new Nintendo 64 in one corner.
Once I was released to outpatient status, I went back to Kansas City and all of my friends. More therapy followed the two surgeries. But not nearly as much as the year of therapy that followed brain surgery.
It was at this point that I started to get serious about music. I had played the piano before the summer of 1996, but I hadn't started back until I regained most of the use of my hands.
Hello!
Here, on this blog I will be telling stories of my experiences with living with a disability. I will give advice on what to do when faced with these problems.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)