HITS
- Opera Workshop was my final performance of the semester! I'm done! I had a blast with all of the playing though. The card scene from Carmen and the first act of The Magic Flute were great successes....even though I didn't play as well as I could have, thanks in part to my annual bout with a sinus infection.
- After Tuesday night's performance, I was part of a semester celebration with some of the seniors I have worked with this term. It was a lot of fun to laugh together while we shared stories and continued making memories. I'm truly blessed to be a part of these students' lives and thankful that I have made some cherished friendships with them.
- One of the best parts of my job is getting to explore new music. This week, I began work on a composition by one of the students at Union. It's refreshing to explore creative music that is thoughtfully prepared. Thank you, Joey Moore, for letting me be part of the work's premiere.
- Since the Thanksgiving holidays are just around the corner, Saturday was the perfect lazy day. It included lots of television, naps, and a bit of casual reading on the couch. Saturday was just the start to the long vacation that I needed!
- This year's sinus infection simply will not let go. On the plus side, it hasn't completely knocked me off of my feet. It has effected every aspect of my world though and resulted in the cancellation of some non-essential rehearsals.
- As much as I love learning new music, I despise dealing with inferior scores. This week included the performance of a new work on recital. Sadly, the piece was not much more than a simple lead sheet. The rhythms indicated in the vocal line were not always followed. Late last week, we had to make the decision to simply cut the final section of the piece because it wasn't lining up. In order to present new music, all of the pieces simply MUST be correctly in place on the page.
- I have never hated teaching a course as much as I have despised my online class this semester. The students are frustrated. I'm frustrated. I could care less if they actually learn anything...I just want the experience to be over! What's been the problem? It was bad timing for me to attempt a new experience with Dad's health crisis this semester. I have found the technological support to be lacking. The fix to the online community has generated more bugs that are being exposed as the course progresses. Since I'm on campus only once each week, there are no opportunities to effectively communicate with support staff -- especially since I have to physically be present in order to get anything done. Lesson learned....I'll gladly attempt an online class again when I'm in a full-time position, but not before.
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