Hits and Misses (October 25-31)

Here's my look back at the week that was.....

HITS

• The week was full of lots of playing. The culmination of the week's work was a successful performance of the fall choral concert. There were moments that I was less than happy with, but I heard good comments about the overall outcome. That always makes you feel good.
• I received the first paycheck from my church job this week. The money is nice and will definitely help, but I am most happy to say that I truly enjoy attending College Heights and am looking forward to the exciting things that are in that congregation's future.
• Since I got out of the office late on Friday afternoon, I decided to grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant. When I walked in, I was greeted by two music students who invited me to join them at their table. We had a nice time together laughing and talking. It's nice that the common experience of making music can unite people of different generations.
• On Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of judging the Piano Sonatina Festival here in Plainview. I heard some good playing for the most part and was reminded just how much I missed all of my kids from Bartlett Music Academy. There's just something magical about working with elementary and middle school students as they discover that they can make gorgeous sounds on the instrument. Although I probably don't have time to devote to a large number of students, I am definitely hoping to fit in a couple of young pianists to stay involved in this exciting part of music.
• I've always been a sucker for a bargain. After the piano festival, I decided to hit the mall in search of a sweater. I wasn't thrilled with the selection, but finally settled on a nice blue one. The price was a little more than I planned to spend, so you can imagine my surprise when the register announced that it was only $14! (What can I say? If anyone is going to stumble upon a deal, it's me. I still take great pride in the shirt I purchased in Macy's for an obligatory gift for only a penny.)

MISSES

• Let's just sum it up this way: BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! This week has truly tested my ability to balance everything on my plate. There were a few things that I allowed to fall a little short of my standards, but for the most part I managed to keep everything afloat. Here's hoping that the next few weeks aren't quite as hectic.
• Every pianist has times when it feels as though your fingers simply will not work. Normally we are able to work things out and get back on track. By the end of the week, my fingers were just in knots. On Friday afternoon, I really didn't think I had any control of the phalanges connected to my hands. I was beginning to wonder if I was experiencing a little pre-Halloween curse or something.
• I tried to come up with a witty way to phrase this, but clarity is probably best. It is the pits to realize that your waist is expanding. I suppose that not having as much travel (and running from one place to another) has made me more sedentary. That combined with my horrible diet -- because I definitely don't feel like cooking when I get home -- means that pants are getting tighter. I do not like the results at all. Now I just have to decide if I'm unhappy enough about my changing condition to actually do something about it.

 

 

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