Hits and Misses (April 10-16, 2017)

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

HITS

• I had a great time experiencing the UIL Choral Competition for the first time this week. Having worked in Texas for 2 years, I was familiar with the concept, but had never seen it first-hand. On Thursday, I accompanied 3 middle school choirs in the competition. I was amazed at the sounds I heard from the young people gathered there. I also got to shadow one of the choirs as they went into the sight reading room. The amount of teaching and preparation that had gone into this five-minute exam was obvious. I'm still learning all of the ins and outs of UIL, but what I've seen so far has been pretty impressive. Looking forward to learning and experiencing more in the years ahead.
• This week has also seen a lot of recital planning for the 2017-2018 academic year. I've got some exciting music to learn in the months ahead.  I'll begin with a program in Memphis this summer with soprano Sabrina Warren that will include works by Copland, Bernstein, and Britten.  Then I'll shift gears and prepare the year's program for solo piano. If I don't lose my guts, I'm going to do a recital featuring works by American composer Ned Rorem. I'm hoping to take this program on the road throughout the year as well -- so keep an eye out to see if I'm coming to a recital venue near you.  Earlier this semester, two of my colleagues and I formed the Kikean Trio; it's an interesting ensemble with soprano, marimba, and piano. The sounds are really neat! We will use our fall program as a recruitment tool to reach high school students in west Texas and New Mexico; repertoire will include works by Dvorak, Schubert, and Mozart as well as the ensemble's arrangements of Sacred Harp songs. Also in the fall, I'll join forces with mezzo-soprano Hope Thacker to present a program of Rossini, Chaminade, and Elgar. Add to this the WBU production of Hansel and Gretel, a two-piano recital with Richard Fountain and student recitals and you will see that I have a very busy year ahead....and I wouldn't have it any other way.
• To round out a busy week, I headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a few days of quiet and rest. I needed to get alone to clear my head a bit and prepare for the final few weeks of the semester. I was a bit of a hermit on this trip. I was surrounded by people as I went to the movies, dined at some favorite restaurant chains, and worshipped with the congregation of Albuquerque's First Baptist Church, but I intentionally avoided meeting up with friends in the area. (I hope that doesn't sound as horrible when you read it as it did when I wrote it!) It wasn't that I didn't want to catch up with friends that I haven't seen in quite some time.....I just needed some time with my thoughts and my God and to allow some healing to take place. As I'm coming to the end of this escape, I can say with confidence that this was just what I needed and I'm ready to face whatever lies ahead in the coming weeks.

 

MISSES

• While throwing together a bag to head out of town on Friday morning, I set aside clothes that I planned to wear to church on Sunday morning. Nothing extravagant, just something that would look appropriate for Easter Sunday. I decided to hang the garments in the back seat so they would be ready-to-wear when I arrived. Once I checked into my hotel, I went to the car to unload my things....and that's when I realized that my clothes weren't hanging in the back. Were they stolen? No...they were exactly where I hung them in my apartment so I wouldn't forget them! Oh well....that was just another excuse to head out and buy a few new pairs of pants.
• Income tax season is the worst time of the year for me. I hate pulling together all of the required documents and marching into the tax professional's office. It always feels like I'm playing an unfair game of roulette that I don't want to lose. This year's game was definitely one that I lost.
• While driving to Albuquerque, I telephoned Mom as you might expect. I talk to her quite frequently in order to stay informed about what is going on in the Geriatric Ward. You can imagine my surprise when Mom informed me that she had spent much of the previous evening in the emergency room with pain in her chest and upper stomach. The doctors checked her out thoroughly and found that her enzymes were not elevated and there was no indication that her heart was in distress. That's good news! However, she proceeded to tell me that she finally heard from her cardiologist a few days ago. A routine echocardiogram revealed that there is elevated pressure on the right side of her heart. The doctor is unsure what is causing the high pressure and has recommended that Mom have a heart cath on Wednesday, April 26. Now if anyone knows me, they know that I am a Momma's boy. My mother is my best friend and the light of my life. Needless to say, I'm not dealing with the thought of her going in for a procedure -- even though I know it is "routine", it doesn't feel that way when it's MY mom on the table -- when I'm 11 hours away in west Texas. The only upside of this is that the doctor does not seem to be terribly concerned about the issue since all of the other tests are coming back clear; our understanding is that he is trying to determine the culprit now in order to avoid future problems down the road. Right now I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and trust that God has got this all under control. We'll just have to see how I continue to do as we get closer to the day of the procedure.