As I hinted on the first day of this edition, this year is going to be the decision year for my imminent future. Money aside, I'll have to decide what to do after my Master's... go on to the Doctorate or stop there and work full-time as a computer programmer at FGM. The major questions that are weighing on my mind:

• Do I have enough inspiration to compose for the span of an entire career without rehashing old material?
• Am I a good enough composer to make an artistic difference?
• Am I motivated enough to "sell" myself competitively and professionally in an already-struggling academic field?
• Will the amount of time and effort devoted to a Doctorate make me that much better at composing (quantitatively speaking)?

I'll talk about all these issues throughout the semester, and you're all welcome to send me thoughts on the subject. I've always known that this decision would eventually have to be made. I think one of the big revelations of the summer was that I have a need to be active in the computer field when I'm not. I don't get the same feeling from composing -- I enjoy it greatly and can do it competently, but when I'm not composing (like this summer, for example), I don't immediately feel compelled to do so.