The day job approved the time off for the VCCA residency, so I’ll be there from Nov 4 to Nov 13. Very excited to be going back!
Tuesday evening, sent my personal statement off to Chet for a look-over. I value his opinion highly in all things, but I value his opinion above all others in the realm of applications since he’s been on so many panels throughout the years. He only offered a few minor criticisms, and otherwise said that it was “very much you – very personal, very detailed, and very smart”.
I sent the whole package to Darien to look over, as well. He had some good suggestions about nitpicky things: consistency of language in the personal statement (I did a whole thing about “focus and range” in the direction/development of my work sections); having the words “really” and “real” in the same sentence; slightly awkward parsing of a sentence where I’d set off a parenthetical with commas rather than dashes, as I typically do. The biggest change was to flesh out the project description a bit more to include the language I’d used in the cover letter about how I see the project as “the orchestral equivalent of an It Gets Better video”.
I feel much more confident about this application than I have about any other I’ve sent out for grants or competitions. I think that my passion for the piece really comes across, as well as my intense personal connection to the subject matter. My previous application to them (was there more than one? possibly. probably.) I approached more from the angle of, “Oh, hey, there’s some grant money here – let’s see, what can I do to try to get some grant money? Oh yeah, that’ll work. I’ll try that.” And it came across in my materials. This is a piece I’ve been wanting to write for almost a year now, but haven’t had the outlet for it. So now I’m approaching the JFund from the angle of “Here’s a project I’m really into, and here are people who are excited to do it – oh, hey, there’s some potential money that can help make it happen!”
After this app is off, I’ll send a letter to the Secret Music Foundation to request their help in funding the piece, as well. Then I’ll research the MAP Fund, which seems ideally suited to this project, and which Dr. Block is very interested in applying to, as well. The MAP Fund apparently has the ability to fund the entire project, which would be great, especially as a fall-back position should the JFund not work out.
As of right now (mid-afternoon), I have two things left to finish before I can send off my application: print a saddle-stitched copy of my shorter work sample, and print off CD labels for my audio samples. All of the written materials are done and looked over and revised, ISU’s materials are ready to go, and I bought large envelopes at lunch today to send the app in. I’ll finish the last two parts right after work, before I run down to Brooklyn to hear DDT’s Haddocks’ Eyes.
I’m champing at the bit to get this thing done and out of my hands!
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