Hand being Forced

Sometimes events just force your hand. As some of my followers know I had planned eventually to study composistion via the Open College of Arts.

http://www.oca-uk.com/distance-learning/music

 However as I have been getting bogged down in Topology I had intended to postpone this till October, which would have given me time to pay all fees upfront and also get Topology out of the way. However they have just announced that their fees will be increasing by 60% for students who register after June 1st 2012. However they will keep a TA arrangement for those who register before then. So it looks like I'll be registering for the course in the next month or two,  taking advantage of their installment plan. I have enough savings for their deposit, it also means less beer for  the next 6 months but that's probably a good thing.

In a way I'm quite excited, but it means something is going to have to give over the next few years, I really can't study Maths, Philosophy and Music to anything like the depth I want to simultaneously. As my maths is important, especially as I have a long term ambiton to become an OU maths tutor, and I want to do some more undergraduate courses, especially M347 mathematical statistics and M336 groups,  before I embark on the MSc.  I think philosophy will have to take a back seat,for now. I will continue to do one or two courses via Edinburgh University every year and there are also Geoffrey Klempner's Pathway modules

 http://www.philosophypathways.com/programs/pack.html

but it looks like I will have to abandon my plan of doing AA308 philosophy of the mind and wait till the replacement course comes in within the next couple of years.

So Provisional Plan is

                        Maths                       Music                      Philosophy
  Current          M338, MS324         Comp 1 (June)         Philosophy of Arts (E/U)
  Oct 2012       MST326 M381
  June 2013                                      Comp 2                    TBD
  Oct 2013      M347  M336
  June 2014                                      Composition of
                                                        Extended                  TBD
                                                        Piece (Comp 3)
  Oct 2014      Start MSc                                                  OU 3rd level course

So if all goes well I could have composed my first symphony by June 2015. Not that it will ever get performed.

I had let my music Studies slide so it's good that I'm being forced to bring them back Still need to finish TMA02 for topology before doing anything else.

Added 2 pm
Have found a blog of someone who has been through the OCA music experience
http://www.fionacoulter.com/blog/