Random Noise

It disappeared. I just finished typing 600 words or so, pressed Save Draft in my Word Press sidebar and presto, all the work disappeared. In over a year, that hasn’t happened before…argh!

So here’s the quick version of the post I just write.

Today was graduation day at CSU Dominguez Hills. During my 15 years or so of teaching many hundreds of students, I only started attending graduation last year. I didn’t think it was important…I was wrong. This cohort of Digital Media Arts students have worked really hard over the past couple of years to meet the requirements of the university, the program and my classes…and I know they will tell you that “Waldrep” is a very hard teacher.

Last evening I was in the bay area enjoying a terrific meal at Paolo’s in San Jose with some associates and a couple that we had met with that afternoon (more on the meetings later…but it was all about wireless networked audio). We shared a terrific meal, a couple of cocktails and a couple of bottles of wine and talked until the place was empty. Very interesting conversation but I made a commitment to get back to Los Angeles in time to escort the graduating seniors into the StubHub tennis stadium this morning. It was an early morning today and a bit of a scramble to get to the event. MY son was late picking me up, they closed the entrance ramp to the freeway and the parking lot was a mess…but I got there.

I was a little late but wanted to be there to shake everyone’s had and give them a proper send off. Some of these students went the extra mile. I don’t want to list their names because inevitably I will forget someone and they’ll feel left out. But they know who they are. However, I will mention Kenny…just because Kenny was special and I told him so as he left the stage and walked by.

Kenny was the only student that I added to my fall beginning recording roster when this group started the program…and that’s not something that I usually do. I asked him at that time if he would commit to meeting the standards of the class AND my standards. He publicly assured everyone in the class AND me that he would. And he did. He comes across as a typical surfer dude (in fact he promised that he and a couple of the others would introduce me to surfing…?) but proved himself to be capable, motivated, skilled and dedicated to the education he was receiving. He posted a picture of himself with his very proud parents on FB today…congrats Kenny you made it.

So a new crop of audio engineering students will find their way in the world of music, post production, radio, games and location sound. Some of them will have major careers and others will find work in their church or local theater. A few will start their own studios and crank out demos and EPKs for local musicians and aspiring artists. Sadly most, will find employment outside of audio…that’s just that way it works. Some will stay in touch and others will never look back at their time in the program.

But I needed to be there and despite wearing heavy black “regalia” while sitting in the open midday sun with temperatures around 90, I was very glad that I came home early from San Francisco to congratulate this exceptional group.

Here’s to the class of 2013!