Finally, it’s over

Four months before the official deadline, 46 days before the new deadline.

Last Thursday, I submitted my Final Project for the Master’s course I started in September 2022.

Just a quick backstory:

Part of my job is composing music for Casefile and other shows that we do. I finished music school as a kid and can play instruments, etc. However, I was never properly trained in orchestration and composition. I felt I needed to improve my skills in this area.

I have always taken online harmony, theory, and writing courses, mainly through ThinkSpace Education. Still, in 2022, I was musing to take on one of their Master’s, a fully accredited course by a British University.

They have a choice, but after talking to their team, I decided on a part-time MA in Professional Media Composition.

My journey began nearly two years ago with school projects, essays, commentary, and deadlines.

I’m not going to lie; it was sometimes tricky, especially when we were crunching with Casefile Presents releases. There were one or two assignments where I did the bare minimum.

But this year, I finished one early and asked the team if I could start my Final Project early, too; they agreed, so the deadline was moved nearly three months earlier. 

However, not only was I busy with work, I was tired. It was time to move on.

The Final Project was supposed to last three months, but I self-imposed a new deadline for myself - 6 weeks. The last few were hectic, but I finally submitted everything. I’m done.

Now, I wanted to do the best job, given the constraints. I also know that, literally, no one cares. No one. 

Except myself, which is a strange feeling of satisfaction. I like it.

But I got what I wanted: a deeper understanding of composition, orchestration and structures. It doesn’t mean the journey is over. But I am confident I can write fast and decently, which you need in a professional environment.

The key word is confidence. 

The rest comes with experience, practice and years of doing it.

What next, you say?

Well, give me a couple of days to relax, please. But I won’t lie; several things are cooking at the back.

But tonight, we celebrate (actually, I celebrated over the weekend with a gig and sushi, but you get the idea).

YOUTUBE

We dropped a video in which I ranted about Rebel Moon 2. Seriously, what a rubbish movie that was.

BOOKS

How Westminster Works by Ian Dunt. Because 2024 is an election year, I have been reading and listening to a lot of politics lately. It’s a good book. Triggering but good. However, after that, I am done with political reading for quite a while.

FUN

Showhank Duo. An acoustic guitar duo playing popular dance songs? Count me in. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect (neither did Paulina). I thought it would be an ambient, casual evening with two blokes playing acoustic guitars. I could not be more wrong. It felt like we were in a nightclub at times. People were dancing and singing - it was great. I love surprises like that, considering I know how difficult it is to get people to go to instrument-only gigs. Well done lads.

Dead Boy Detectives. A new series on Netflix, an off-shoot of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. We just started it, but it’s not too bad. Light and entertaining.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you (hopefully!) next week!

Mike

https://mikemigas.com/

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