my thesis advisor (to whom i happen to also be graduate assistant) said the novelty of grading has worn off on him. shortly following was this conversation:
me: i think i will always love grading.
RG: i think that’s the judgmental streak in you, imani.
me: possibly.
well i have been put to the test (no pun intended) this weekend with the task of grading midterms. all 66 of them. and as i finish them (i took some time out from grading to write this post — i needed it) i have come to realize that, yes, i will ALWAYS love grading. some of the answers on these test brought a tear to my eye, in a hilarious way mind you. these students are, for lack of a better word, creative. and seeing a glimpse of the inside of their minds is a psychological excursion i want to take over and over and over…
and now i present to you:
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM GRADING (the midterm edition)
- Mallarmé and Debussy were partners in crime. No, literally, crime.
- Vaughan Williams, Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky all sound exactly alike.
- “common intervallic source” is when melodies and harmonies have a common intervallic source.
- just because something is sung in French doesn’t mean it can’t be Spanish!
- Ballet Russes is an opera company. True story!
now don’t get me wrong, my kids did a great job overall and i’m very proud of them but honestly, when you wake up at 2pm, hungover and covered with blue body paint, everything’s going to be funny. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
another musicology blog 
Hilarious….I love you imani:)
Nice! I started writing down my favorite test answers at one point. The very best began “Charlemagne was the industrial revolution in the west. She…” and went downhill from there.