Mangoes and Passion Fruit

Today I prepared an application for the Hague Conservatoire (Holland). I realised I had everything with me in order to do the application, so I went ahead. No application fee and no problem, it's all basically in the bag in a day. There's hardly a chance in hell of me actually being able to attend the course, due to financial difficulties and other complications, but it's good experience to put it in in the first place. Of course if they ask me for interview it's an excuse to go abroad as well, especially to go to Amsterdam for a day.

I've been assessing the 'further study options' situation with my parents over the last few days, and came to the conclusion that I have several options - not a new conclusion, but let's look at it like this.

The Hague has the people I would like most to study with, a lively music scene (to say the least) and first rate facilities. However it rains a lot and can be a little grim. The food's not up to much either - I've never eaten so many grey dishes.
Italy (Bologna, Firenze, Roma ecc.) have good facilities, a pretty much nonexistent contemporary music scene and a few people I would consider studying with. However the bonus here is that it's an amazing place to live, somewhere I would definitely think about spending some upcoming years in.
UK:
The Academy in London has first rate facilities, an unparalleled music scene (to be disputed see last post) and plenty of people to study with. However they can be very snobby about stylistic elements, although there's no reason to think I couldn't carve a niche, but the conservatoires are very stuck in their ways. Weather's better than Glasgow at least, but the major problem here is the cost - too much to shelf on my poor little shoulders unless something major happened in the way of funding or lucrative job prospects.
University of Manchester recently acquired first rate facilities, a growing and burgeoning music scene including a voracious appetite for electronic music. As for friends I seem to have plenty still hanging around from my time there as an undergraduate, and I'm sure I'd meet plenty in the time to come. The weather is manageable (stuck it out for four years, can't have been too bad) but the major problem here is the staff. There's noone there in the Classical department that I'd feel happy studying with [again] so I'd probably end up doing electro-acoustic as my major component, not an unwelcome prospect.
York - the outsider - first rate facilites, but an ageing staff and cold weather. Sleepy but particularly beautiful town, with a great bakery.

From this analysis, it looks like I have to make either a compromise or an informed choice. Italy is my first option: great food and lifestyle but I compromise on the scene, unless I create one for myself. Hague for great music making but nothing interesting about the lifestyle - I'd probably want to move again, plus I wouldn't get a PhD, no small thing to ignore. UK for home territory, home cooking and a burdensome expense, but some great friends and plenty of already established contacts.

Oh! There are too many things to think about, especially as I still don't know what I'm doing for the next year. I think, though, that the first thing is to settle my debts and get a decent salary for the coming months, and see what comes my way while I'm doing whatever life throws at me. Best just to watch this space and do everything I can to enjoy life, especially as the summer is coming. Time to practise the piano, play bass and drink tea. I'm playing bass, and piano in the upcoming Thing gig. Doesn't worry me too much, as I'm reasonably confident about my bass playing skills, but playing in a concert is something I haven't done for a long time, maybe 5 years - I suppose it'll be something to put on the CV! First rehearsal Thursday, I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh and I forget... I've put music from Crisma and the last Thing gig on my website so if you get bored you can go listen. I'll be getting the Crisma DVD soon, and it's been entered for the Premio DAMS della Universita di Bologna - fingers crossed. I'll put a short streaming excerpt on the website, as soon as I figure out how to do that on my Mac.