I don't care what the pros think

I thrive on independent learning. That’s the upside of being homeschooled when I was little, plus having encouraging parents who supported my interests. - I’m emphasising the negatives of my NZSM experience for the OP reason: I taught myself to write for the voice, and I’m obviously gifted at that. Not one lesson on that in 4 years of study - there was one 16-bar assignment for voice, but no teaching of vocal technique, prosody, scansion or any of the fundamental skills. That means the VO part of my INVO degree was autodidactic, and I’m genuinely pissed that my supervisor was persistently negative about my desires (while still admiring my vocal writing and guitar writing). And yes, I’m genuinely not happy with how I was treated like an unwanted guest at lunchtime concerts by Belinda and many of my fellow students. - I refute this idea that only Jake knew the ‘real me’ - no, everyone thought I was mental. That wasn’t helped by people struggling to tell me and Stephen apart, even though he had a beard. I’m just talented, so I got some advantages from that, but it was pretty clear that nobody liked me all that much. If anyone saw the real me, it was Jane. That was a much closer relationship, and she liked to say that she knew me better than I knew myself. 👍 - When I started smoking pot, people started finding me a lot more likeable. That’s because it genuinely helps. So now that I’m infamous and my talent has fully blossomed (thanks to the pot activists), I’m simply not returning. I refuse to set foot on the campus: and that’s a fair call. - I don’t need a fancy piece of paper to say I know what I’m doing: and I definitely don’t want any of the resources of those organisations because I question their value in this era. I think avant-garde academic music is a waste of the government’s money, and has only survived due to state support. Seriously: that music is for academics, by academics, and paid for by taxpayers. Pan’s Preludes is accessible because that’s my focus: I genuinely believe in using music to promote social cohesion, and that’s what my explicit goal has been for many years - Glen will remember that convo. - I haven’t failed music theory: I can explain how my music works, and have on many occasions. Here are the key highlights: bitonality, polytonality, modes which don't repeat at the octave, irregular metres, false relations (yes, I break counterpoint rules for effect), and an obsession with vernacular speech. Besides that, my ear is sharp enough that I can borrow literally anything and use it in my work.