Jazz's Year in Review

Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!  2010 came and went in a hurry. In fact, it seems as though each year blows by so quickly—perhaps we should measure time in five-year increments. However, the Lovell family certainly made the most of it. This fall, I started my fifth (and hopefully final) year of doctoral work in music theory. Year four academic highlights included some important milestones. I completed my two, yes two, comprehensive exams in theory (Fall 2009) and jazz studies (Spring 2010). I spent most of the school year preparing music for my jazz composition recital, which was presented June 5^th, 2010. I had some really great performers on the recital, including a former musician buddy from California, and a dear friend from my Ricks College and BYU days. I taught a fun month-long course over the summer on the music of Stevie Wonder. It was an analysis course that undergraduates could count toward their core curriculum requirements. Since a class like this had to be built from the ground up, I pretty much ate, slept, breathed all things Wonder-ful for a month. The students had a good time living with this music, and responded well to the challenges it presented. The class culminated in a two-day presentation of individual song projects and performances imitating Stevie’s style. I get to teach it again in a ten-week format next term. Good stuff. After the class ended, I took a much-needed month-long hiatus off of anything remotely academic. For the last 4 years, the pedal has been to the metal year round, and I thought it prudent to take a breather as I approached the final hurdle of my program….the dissertation (cue ominous music).

I began working on the dissertation in earnest this Fall. For my project, I examine the music of Stevie Wonder—a topic that I decided could easily hold my interest for the duration of dissertating! The faculty graciously gave me one additional year of the stipend I have been blessed with this past four years. They also reduced my teaching load so that I could have ample time to prepare my proposal, which took most of the term crafting, re-crafting and de-crafting. By my fifth draft, I finally had an acceptable document to submit, and officially advanced to candidacy at the beginning of December. Thank goodness! My goal for completion of this document is August…we’ll see. Finally, I have sent out around a half dozen job applications throughout the country. Most of the colleges are located in the east—my hope to one-day return to California seems futile given the current economic situation! Out of the sent applications, I have received one invitation for an in-person interview in Pennsylvania. We are excited and hopeful at the possibility of getting a full-time teaching gig after living on a shoestring the past four years! Wish us luck!

The rest of the crew continues to plod along with various activities too, and seem to still be okay with referring to me as husband or Dad as the case may be. Jenna has excelled as the “game-manager” of the family, and does so much to keep things together. She has been such a strength and support to me as I finish this last stretch of schooling. With four kids, she has her hands full, running them around to football, basketball, volleyball, art classes, scouts, piano lessons and church activities. She still finds time to make a little money on the side with her stamp business and Spanish teaching at the elementary school. Did I mention that she also gets up at 5:30 six days a week to work out? I have learned over the years that I am not the REAL busy one in the family.

I am also very proud of my kids, who are growing like weeds. When asked about school, Shark gives me the running yearlong tally of touchdowns he has scored at recess, a number he puts at 50 and counting. He is a college football fan to the core, so much so that he gets weepy when his team is down by a few points (temporarily) to an opponent.  Didi has really developed a keen eye and steady hand for drawing—partly a natural talent she inherited from Jenna's mother. She is also becoming quite the pianist and recently performed the popular minuet in G major from the Anna Magdalena notebook. Goldie-girl is little miss chatterbox, a skill she’ll share whether others are present or not, and which occasionally gets her in trouble at school. She has a crush on three or four boys in her first grade class at the moment. I live for her bright smile-it regularly melts my heart. Tootie the terrorizer is playing up the 3-year old shtick, routinely creating messes, teasing and/or beating up his older siblings and then looking cute as a button when he wants to. It will be bittersweet when he grows out of this phase. He loves his part-time preschool experience and apparently is quite the angel for his teachers… 

Well, I hope all is well with you and yours. Please keep me informed of coming and goings. I would really love to hear about them.

All the best,

Jazz