The Ears of an Angel?

I don't know about you, but when I think of angels, I don't tend to think about their ears as my first port of call! 
I went to the London South Bank University today to have my 'audiometric test', which is a government initiative relating to noise at work (tho more to protect road digger types than sensitive musicians!). Basically we get a test now, a seminar about protecting our lug'oles, and a test at the end of our course.
Anyway, after sitting in an acoustic booth for what seemed like 17 hours, but was probably not much more than 5 minutes, (wondering whether it was normal to hear the blood rushing through my poor ear lobes from the extreme pressure of the headphones, and indeed further wondering whether this audible sensation might affect the results of my test) pressing a little button for each squeak I heard start and stop...i finally achieved my results. 
I know that one's hearing, like eyesight and parts of the body affected by gravity (no detail here), that 40 is the golden age where it all goes to shit. So I was perfectly prepared to be told that my composing days were over before they had properly (ie. being paid to do it) begun, and that I should go back to the playground where I belong, and take my kids to the park more often! Therefore, I was delighted when the ear expert dude said that I had better than perfect hearing, and in fact, had the 'ears of an angel'. In the audiology world, there is a mark for perfect hearing, which is zero. My score was -20.
I am more than happy about my angelic ears, and hope that my short skirt bore no over-flattery of the real results, in which I have nice legs, but actually quite shit hearing! 


I also made it through my first proper seminar today, on the importance of one's professional portfolio, and it's veritable contents. I take matters of education and goal setting very seriously; maybe it makes me a geek, or maybe it's why I get good marks nowadays (O my, please let that continue, as it matters very much when one is parting with huge sums of money for the privilege of being weighed and measured against a rather steep scale of attainment), either way, I loved the seminar, and think that the blokey who led it (Dr. Neil Heyde), is class at his job and his profession. I like people who love music, it's an affliction!


Tomorrow, I meet the fabled Gary Carpenter, who is to be my personal composition tutor. OOH it's so exciting! I even have moments where I am more excited than scared, though I think it could be a good few weeks (104??) before I stop waiting to feel an official tap on my shoulder followed by an apologetic, yet large man, telling me politely that there has been some mistake, and that it was quite another Miss Nikki Franklin who should have been offered this golden place of opportunity, and that I should quietly get my coat, and make my way back to the playground where I belong and to please take my kids to the park more often!


Okay, so it's scores out tomorrow for the beginning of my noise making under the knowledgeable eye, and perhaps angelic ear of Gary Carpenter...ooh, I can't wait!


If you don't hear from me for 7 weeks, you'll know he is a task-master extraordinaire, and that I am writing symphonies as fast as my faber-castel can take it!




Tra-la-la xxx off to the park then!