unitstructures

I hate hate.
 
I'm kidding mostly except for the part about looking for good in things. Obviously, not everything is for everyone.
 
I do however think there can be a perverse sense of pride taken in the things people don't like. Not sure what to make of it exactly.
 
But yes, I'm being mostly facetious by posting this in this thread. I was initially going to extol the virtues of sculpture and then clarify that Hip Hop is a genre and Rapping is a thing a person does. But that seemed like a lost cause.

I decided to make a rule: I am permitted to check my email once a day. It's not working out very well. 

The first one was for "another school just heavily invested in the kind of music that no one wants to listen to." The second was for "Taruskin retired... just think about how Berkeley musicology probably isn't what it used to be." I disagreed with both but no, it wasn't enough to offend. It was more just a turn off. I rolled my eyes and clicked the red button. Also, you're presumptuous to imply that downvoting signifies a lack of comfort in expressing opinions. You probably didn't pause to wonder if it could be one of a million other things. 
You're the only one who seems touchy around here. Also, no one preached anything about how you should respond to a rejection. Did you really project all that from a couple of downvotes? 

Fine, I'll indulge you. I happen to think that there is no such thing as "music no one wants to listen to," simply because there is at least that person who made the music and made it out of his/her/their desire. There are many different kinds of music with varying degrees of commercial success, and there is and should be room for the kind of music that most aren't conditioned to like, and academia should and accommodate that. When you wrote "no one" it stunk of self-centeredness. I wouldn't have downvoted you if you had replaced "no one" with "I," which is all you have the prerogative to speak for. Also, there's a composer at Berkeley who's music I find beautiful. As for the second one, of course Taruskin is Taruskin but no one professor can significantly lower the quality of a program, especially one like Berkeley, because a department is a network of several human and non-human resources, and although the effects will be felt for a time, it will not be degraded, which is what you implied. Is that enough explaining for you? On another note, I hope you get in somewhere you like, and make great music for the benefit of everyone interested. I don't really know how composition schools pick students but can only guess it's arbitrary to some extent, way more so than musicology. It must be stressful and a blast to the ego, if you have a big one.

Fine, I'll indulge you. I happen to think that there is no such thing as "music no one wants to listen to," simply because there is at least that person who made the music and made it out of his/her/their desire. There are many different kinds of music with varying degrees of commercial success, and there is and should be room for the kind of music that most aren't conditioned to like, and academia should and accommodate that. When you wrote "no one" it stunk of self-centeredness. I wouldn't have downvoted you if you had replaced "no one" with "I," which is all you have the prerogative to speak for. Also, there's a composer at Berkeley who's music I find beautiful. As for the second one, of course Taruskin is Taruskin but no one professor can significantly lower the quality of a program, especially one like Berkeley, because a department is a network of several human and non-human resources, and although the effects will be felt for a time, it will not be degraded, which is what you implied. Is that enough explaining for you? On another note, I hope you get in somewhere you like, and make great music for the benefit of everyone interested. I don't really know how composition schools pick students but can only guess it's arbitrary to some extent, way more so than musicology. It must be stressful and a blast to the ego, if you have a big one.

My plan is definitely to talk shit about the programs that reject me and then laud as the academic heavens, any programs that accept me. After all, that's exactly what they are for me.

The first one was for "another school just heavily invested in the kind of music that no one wants to listen to." The second was for "Taruskin retired... just think about how Berkeley musicology probably isn't what it used to be." I disagreed with both but no, it wasn't enough to offend. It was more just a turn off. I rolled my eyes and clicked the red button. Also, you're presumptuous to imply that downvoting signifies a lack of comfort in expressing opinions. You probably didn't pause to wonder if it could be one of a million other things. 
You're the only one who seems touchy around here. Also, no one preached anything about how you should respond to a rejection. Did you really project all that from a couple of downvotes? 

Congrats John Beckert!
Have you thought of a concise answer to the question "why are you interested in pursuing a doctorate"? Also, be prepared to talk about some articles you read recently. 
Good luck!

Does anybody know anything about the funding situation at Illinois Urbana-Champaign? Are all of their PhDs funded or only some?

Congrats! 

Hey PhDavid! Glad you started this thread. I've submitted to nine PhD programs in musicology. Already heard back from one school which was surprising and delightful. Procrastinating on the tenth app by reading everything written by their ethno and jazz faculty available online before finishing the last damn sop. Bummer about your rejections. Was it to Indiana and Eastman? I heard they are ultra, super, impossibly competitive. Hope this torturing process results in at least a bite of fruit in the best or any form. Wish you all the best in the next weeks!
 

Yeah now that I've received my first decision... I shall lose sleep nightly as I expect others to come in soon. Hopefully better ones!
Sorry to here Berkeley shafted you too dude. But oh well, Taruskin retired... just think about how Berkeley musicology probably isn't what it used to be. I've been going through my list of cons about it and no longer care much that they didn't want me haha.

Well as it turns out, my morning news is...
 
UC Berkeley = reeeeeejected.
It's okay, not my top choice... didn't even really choose the right person as my POI and when I sat in on a seminar there I thought they were another school just heavily invested in the kind of music that no one wants to listen to.
0a, 0w, 1r so far.

All music fields and degrees welcome! There was a great thread for this last year and I wanted to get one started for this year (there is one already but it is targeted towards MA only).
Applications in? Heard anything yet?
I just submitted my last application yesterday (music theory) and have already been rejected by two schools.

If a change of career is what you really want, you'd be crazy not to try. The worst thing that can happen is that you fail. How bad is that compared to not even trying? Personally, I knew I'd be bitter for the rest of my life if I didn't have the guts to go for what I wanted. I decided I'd rather fail and move on with my life than to not try at all. Besides, there are worst things in life than not getting into a PhD program. Have courage, dear friend!

Oops! Thanks for the friendly heads up.
Best wishes to all philosophy applicants.
Bye now!
 

Oops! Thanks for the friendly heads up.
Best wishes to all philosophy applicants.
Bye now!
 

Oops! Thanks for the friendly heads up.
Best wishes to all philosophy applicants.
Bye now!
 

If a change of career is what you really want, you'd be crazy not to try. The worst thing that can happen is that you fail. How bad is that compared to not even trying? Personally, I knew I'd be bitter for the rest of my life if I didn't have the guts to go for what I wanted. I decided I'd rather fail and move on with my life than to not try at all. Besides, there are worst things in life than not getting into a PhD program. Have courage, dear friend!