I checked my school email yesterday, feeling half-guilty as I did so. You see, other teacher friends of mine told me, "I'm not getting paid to work over the summer, so I'm not going to do any work-related things this summer, like checking email." I couldn't help it though. What if someone needs me? What if there's valuable information that I should know? What if? What if?
Curiosity won out (as, admittedly, it has a few times earlier this summer too) ... and ... I do have somewhat of a compulsion to check my email accounts (yes, plural) often ... even if it sometimes takes me forever to respond ...
Anyway, I'm glad I did. One parent sent me a link to this nifty YouTube video and hoped I was enjoying my summer. Another parent had contacted the school, wanting to reach me, and the secretary gave me a phone number to call. I left a message at the phone number, and as I was not at school, I left my home phone number (at my parents' home) for the return call.
Last night, I was watching a silly but highly amusing movie with my dad when the phone rang. I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mrs. LastName?" I was about to interrupt the caller to say, "No, sorry, my mother is not at home. May I take a message?" when the voice continued, identifying herself as the parent who'd wanted to reach me. :)
She was calling because her daughter and other students of mine are in a local musical production, and they wanted to invite me to a performance next week. Aww. :) I think I'll go.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Wedding-related thoughts
Westley and I are now less than 6 months away from being husband and wife! Yay! In terms of planning and preparation, here's what we have accomplished:
- Church, pastor, 2/3 premarital counseling sessions
- Organist (former mentor of mine; brilliant musician)
- Reception venue
- My dress & shoes
- Appointment set up with potential florist (mother of former classmate of mine)
- Initial contacts made with several potential photographers
- Ordered Save the Date postcards which I designed (musical theme, somewhat cheesy ... I hope they turn out well! They're due to arrive Friday, the day before Westley's family reunion...)
- Online research of apartments in the area
- Online research for honeymoon venues (seeking lowkey/quiet for 4-5 days of rest and relaxation before I have to go back to school again)
- Registries at Macy's & Target have been started ... although we still need to add things like bathroom linens and bedding
Here's what else I hope to accomplish (wedding-related stuff) by the time I have to go back to school:
- Send out Save the Date postcards (Aack! The guest list has grown to about 40 people more than we'd initially expected to invite!!! I've been told by some already that they won't be able to attend ... but I am nervous about this, as more guests = more money, and we're trying to keep costs down!)
- Order invitations and prepare as many as possible
- Reception music
- Secure a photographer
- Check out apartments in person
- Finish registries
- Create wedding website with links to local hotels, registries, etc.
- Pick out & order bridesmaids' dresses
Other random thoughts:
Do I want a veil? I've been told by many that because I'm so young (24 next week) that I have to have a veil. I don't really have a feeling about it one way or another. I know I don't want a blusher because I'm afraid it would mess up my hair. I don't know how I want to style my hair. I don't want the veil to detract from the dress (high in front, low-cut back). Should I just borrow a friend's?
Music for reception??? Live band/trio to play standards? Solo pianist, although it would have to be on an electric keyboard because the venue doesn't have a piano? We'd struggled on the issue of live music vs. a DJ, and since we're both music teachers, it seems a shame to not hire live musicians, as a live performance is usually far superior to a recording.
Oh my gosh! Everything is SO expensive. I suppose it'd be worse if I lived near a REALLY big city, but I'm shocked that prices in this area are so high. We're trying to be extremely careful because Westley doesn't have a job lined up in this area yet, and we don't know how long we might have to live off of my salary alone ... We're fortunate that both sets of parents are willing to contribute, but we don't want to be a burden to either of them. *sigh*
School-related thoughts
I can hardly believe I've completed my first year of teaching and that nearly half of my summer vacation has flown by.
I still think of my students often, and I've looked for hours online trying to find new, exciting repertoire for next year. Before I left, I started reorganizing my choral library at school, and I expected that I would return sooner than later to work more on it. However, the 60-mile round trip commute to work and back is not incredibly appealing, and I've not yet returned to do the unpaid task of overhauling the library.
I wonder how my students are, but I haven't spent much time in the area near where I work, and I haven't run into anyone this summer. I visited my favorite store, Tarzhay, recently to update my wedding registry, half-expecting to see someone I recognized, as I had when I last went to the store. I found what I was looking for (Hooray! Added the bowls to our registry which match the pretty plates!) but didn't see anyone. I'm not sure if I was relieved or disappointed.
-----
On the last day of school, we teachers waved goodbye to the students as their busses drove out of the parking lot. One boy gestured and mouthed the words, "I love you, Miss LastName!" to me as his bus pulled away. Others waved back, excited that they were free at last. I honestly can't say who was more excited though- the teachers or the students. We cheered loudly too and waved heartily.
I initially learned that this was how we ended the last day when I read it on a handout distributed at a faculty meeting a few weeks earlier. When it was announced that all teachers wave goodbye, I giggled aloud, thinking it was incredibly cheesy. I have to admit, however, that I did enjoy it ... it was a pleasant closure to the school year. (Then of course, we teachers had a few extra days to continue to take apart our classrooms and get everything organized for next year.)
-----
My last concerts went well. Although the students did better in the rehearsals before the concerts, the response from administration and parents was overwhelmingly positive. The students presented me with a giant card, a bouquet, and a gift (a $25 giftcard to Cheesecake Factory and an electric pencil sharpener because the manual one in my classroom is terrible). While presenting these to me and showering me with compliments ("hadn't expected a first year teacher to achieve this level of success" and "she had big shoes to fill, and in a year, she's made the program even better; she's made it her own"), my principal clapped for me. The audience did too, and all of my 250+ students gave me a standing ovation! Humbling experience. I blew kisses back to my students standing in the audience from the stage. :)
-----
Next week, I will be "going back to school" for a long weekend professional workshop. I'm really excited about it for many reasons: I was one of two scholarship recipients, the clinicians are internationally renowned for their expertise, I will get reimbursed by my school district for the graduate credits, and I get to add 2 more states to the list of states I've visited (#29 & #30, even though one I'm adding because I'm flying into the airport in that state and traveling on land to the workshop location). I'm not as excited about having to write a 3-5 page paper on a specific technique I learn at the workshop and how I will apply it in my classroom, but that's required for the reimbursement. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to get that published like the last time I wrote a paper like that. :)
I still think of my students often, and I've looked for hours online trying to find new, exciting repertoire for next year. Before I left, I started reorganizing my choral library at school, and I expected that I would return sooner than later to work more on it. However, the 60-mile round trip commute to work and back is not incredibly appealing, and I've not yet returned to do the unpaid task of overhauling the library.
I wonder how my students are, but I haven't spent much time in the area near where I work, and I haven't run into anyone this summer. I visited my favorite store, Tarzhay, recently to update my wedding registry, half-expecting to see someone I recognized, as I had when I last went to the store. I found what I was looking for (Hooray! Added the bowls to our registry which match the pretty plates!) but didn't see anyone. I'm not sure if I was relieved or disappointed.
-----
On the last day of school, we teachers waved goodbye to the students as their busses drove out of the parking lot. One boy gestured and mouthed the words, "I love you, Miss LastName!" to me as his bus pulled away. Others waved back, excited that they were free at last. I honestly can't say who was more excited though- the teachers or the students. We cheered loudly too and waved heartily.
I initially learned that this was how we ended the last day when I read it on a handout distributed at a faculty meeting a few weeks earlier. When it was announced that all teachers wave goodbye, I giggled aloud, thinking it was incredibly cheesy. I have to admit, however, that I did enjoy it ... it was a pleasant closure to the school year. (Then of course, we teachers had a few extra days to continue to take apart our classrooms and get everything organized for next year.)
-----
My last concerts went well. Although the students did better in the rehearsals before the concerts, the response from administration and parents was overwhelmingly positive. The students presented me with a giant card, a bouquet, and a gift (a $25 giftcard to Cheesecake Factory and an electric pencil sharpener because the manual one in my classroom is terrible). While presenting these to me and showering me with compliments ("hadn't expected a first year teacher to achieve this level of success" and "she had big shoes to fill, and in a year, she's made the program even better; she's made it her own"), my principal clapped for me. The audience did too, and all of my 250+ students gave me a standing ovation! Humbling experience. I blew kisses back to my students standing in the audience from the stage. :)
-----
Next week, I will be "going back to school" for a long weekend professional workshop. I'm really excited about it for many reasons: I was one of two scholarship recipients, the clinicians are internationally renowned for their expertise, I will get reimbursed by my school district for the graduate credits, and I get to add 2 more states to the list of states I've visited (#29 & #30, even though one I'm adding because I'm flying into the airport in that state and traveling on land to the workshop location). I'm not as excited about having to write a 3-5 page paper on a specific technique I learn at the workshop and how I will apply it in my classroom, but that's required for the reimbursement. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to get that published like the last time I wrote a paper like that. :)
Monday, June 08, 2009
Rare dream
I had the strangest dream right before I woke up this morning...
In this dream, there was a crazy tree which decided that it was no longer going to be put up with being mistreated. Those silly humans, it thought to itself, need to be taught a lesson. So the tree decided that it was going to eat a human being, the next person it encountered.
It saw a young woman from a distance and decided, That's the person I'm going to eat. He announced it to her as she drew closer. To be fair, he decided to give her some warning so that she could put her affairs in order and prepare herself emotionally for her impending doom.
The young woman was frightened but agreed to do as the tree said. She gathered together family and friends and told them of her fate. Initially, she thought she'd have a small ceremony with just her family present while the tree consumed her, but the event began to draw a great deal of attention.
Finally, the day came. The young woman walked over by the tree and held onto its viney prison-like branches. She stood there with the tree while children sang songs and a speaker gave an inspirational message. Summoning her courage, she announced that she was ready. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and gently stroked the branch holding her with her fingers.
The tree shuddered. The young woman continued to hold her breath, reassuring herself that her fear would be over soon. Eventually, she was no longer able to hold her breath, so she inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked the tree.
"I can't eat you," the tree replied. "You haven't acted like the other humans who mistreat my kind. Please forgive me."
-------
Up until this point, the dream sounds like a fable ... but in the next scene of the dream, I was sitting with the young woman, and she had become a friend of mine. Around her finger was a stunning ring, made from petrified wood with lovely, rare gems. She was telling me about her fiance, who happened to be the tree. Very strange indeed.
In this dream, there was a crazy tree which decided that it was no longer going to be put up with being mistreated. Those silly humans, it thought to itself, need to be taught a lesson. So the tree decided that it was going to eat a human being, the next person it encountered.
It saw a young woman from a distance and decided, That's the person I'm going to eat. He announced it to her as she drew closer. To be fair, he decided to give her some warning so that she could put her affairs in order and prepare herself emotionally for her impending doom.
The young woman was frightened but agreed to do as the tree said. She gathered together family and friends and told them of her fate. Initially, she thought she'd have a small ceremony with just her family present while the tree consumed her, but the event began to draw a great deal of attention.
Finally, the day came. The young woman walked over by the tree and held onto its viney prison-like branches. She stood there with the tree while children sang songs and a speaker gave an inspirational message. Summoning her courage, she announced that she was ready. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and gently stroked the branch holding her with her fingers.
The tree shuddered. The young woman continued to hold her breath, reassuring herself that her fear would be over soon. Eventually, she was no longer able to hold her breath, so she inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked the tree.
"I can't eat you," the tree replied. "You haven't acted like the other humans who mistreat my kind. Please forgive me."
-------
Up until this point, the dream sounds like a fable ... but in the next scene of the dream, I was sitting with the young woman, and she had become a friend of mine. Around her finger was a stunning ring, made from petrified wood with lovely, rare gems. She was telling me about her fiance, who happened to be the tree. Very strange indeed.
Friday, May 29, 2009
7 months minus 2 days until W-Day
Aack! More than 3 weeks since I last posted. I'm hoping to catch up this summer on the stories I need to share:
*Choral catastrophes (fainting/ill children at performances, threats)
*First overnight field trip with my students
*Family party with Westley's kin
*Teaching my students how to "insult someone intelligently"
*Class personalities and how they changed
*2nd concert (which actually takes place tonight!)
*Reflections on a first year of teaching which is somehow very nearly over (how is it possible that I'm almost done?!?!?!?!?!)
I'm listing the above so I remember that I want to write down these stories before I forget them! Then ... in the years to come, I'll look back fondly on this first year of teaching, the year of my engagement, etc.
Plans for this summer:
I'm dreaming of curling up in a chair with a refreshing cup of tea (although lately I've become a coffee addict, something I'd always hoped to avoid *sigh*) with my laptop and writing. Planning my wedding. Picking music for next year. Making plans, resources for next year. Going through all my junk/stuff/clothing/etc. and getting rid of what I don't need/want. Getting organized. My bedroom is chaotic with bags of stuff here, boxes of stuff there. Bridal magazines given to me by a friend. Piles of sheet music. Books. CDs. Pictures. Miscellaneous stuff. I want to be able to walk through my room and have EVERYTHING in some kind of organized arrangement.
OK, and because today's my concert (and also fortunately, my part-time day), I'm going into school late. Otherwise, I'd be there at this very moment. I still need to go, however, and I should leave soon ... so I'll have to continue this stream-of-consciousness later ... maybe next week ... or maybe when my summer officially begins- 2 weeks from today! (Students' last day is the 10th, but mine is the 12th.) Hmm ...
Anyway ... be back sooner than later!!!
*Choral catastrophes (fainting/ill children at performances, threats)
*First overnight field trip with my students
*Family party with Westley's kin
*Teaching my students how to "insult someone intelligently"
*Class personalities and how they changed
*2nd concert (which actually takes place tonight!)
*Reflections on a first year of teaching which is somehow very nearly over (how is it possible that I'm almost done?!?!?!?!?!)
I'm listing the above so I remember that I want to write down these stories before I forget them! Then ... in the years to come, I'll look back fondly on this first year of teaching, the year of my engagement, etc.
Plans for this summer:
I'm dreaming of curling up in a chair with a refreshing cup of tea (although lately I've become a coffee addict, something I'd always hoped to avoid *sigh*) with my laptop and writing. Planning my wedding. Picking music for next year. Making plans, resources for next year. Going through all my junk/stuff/clothing/etc. and getting rid of what I don't need/want. Getting organized. My bedroom is chaotic with bags of stuff here, boxes of stuff there. Bridal magazines given to me by a friend. Piles of sheet music. Books. CDs. Pictures. Miscellaneous stuff. I want to be able to walk through my room and have EVERYTHING in some kind of organized arrangement.
OK, and because today's my concert (and also fortunately, my part-time day), I'm going into school late. Otherwise, I'd be there at this very moment. I still need to go, however, and I should leave soon ... so I'll have to continue this stream-of-consciousness later ... maybe next week ... or maybe when my summer officially begins- 2 weeks from today! (Students' last day is the 10th, but mine is the 12th.) Hmm ...
Anyway ... be back sooner than later!!!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
April ... a summary :)
I've started posts and saved them ... intending to finish and publish them eventually. I'd been working on one in particular for awhile ... and now it's been more than a month since the event actually occurred. And it's been longer than that since I've written. So ... instead of revising all those old incomplete posts ... here was my April:
April was a whirlwind of a month. The month began and ended with field trips. At the beginning of the month, I took my top choir to a district festival where they performed beautifully. They were one of a handful of choirs that performed in a higher category. My supervisor rewarded me with high praise, saying, "I am your biggest fan right now" and "I am SO proud of you" and "This is an excellent accomplishment, especially for a first year teacher!"
Surprised and pleased, I thanked her for her kind words and said honestly, "Well, I did inherit a good program," and she gave me additional credit for keeping it going and improving it. Glorious way to start out the month.
Then I was consumed with our school musical. My predecessor had warned me against doing too much, and she advised me to NOT take on the school musical. I had known, however, that I wanted to do it because I didn't want anyone else teaching my kids how to sing. As the vocal expert in the school, I felt responsible for instilling good vocal habits and teaching proper technique. My colleague (who has become an excellent friend this year!) and I were fortunate to have additional assistance from very talented high school students who choreographed and staged the entire show. We taught the music and handled virtually all of the logistics. The show was a great success. Our students were marvelous, the audience doubled in size from last year's production to this year, and our very impressed principal called it "delightful" and the "perfect choice for a middle school show." Even better? Some of the students in the show who aren't in my classes this year have signed up to take my classes next year!!!
The month ended with my first overnight field trip for students from my department. The trip was a success, the students were well-behaved, and my collection of Disney movies were popular on the bus. :)
Other important events in April:
*Easter (conducted a choir at one service, accompanied another group at a later service)
*Scheduling for next year: I will be full-time!!! (I will be teaching a subject out of my field, but I do have some experience with it and I'm excited for the opportunity! Plus, it's a huge difference in my salary- 10%!)
*Westley's final concert at GradSchool ... and I loved joining them onstage for the traditional Alumni song ... *sigh* So much has happened since I sang on that stage last ... and so much more may happen before I have the opportunity to sing with them again ...
April was a whirlwind of a month. The month began and ended with field trips. At the beginning of the month, I took my top choir to a district festival where they performed beautifully. They were one of a handful of choirs that performed in a higher category. My supervisor rewarded me with high praise, saying, "I am your biggest fan right now" and "I am SO proud of you" and "This is an excellent accomplishment, especially for a first year teacher!"
Surprised and pleased, I thanked her for her kind words and said honestly, "Well, I did inherit a good program," and she gave me additional credit for keeping it going and improving it. Glorious way to start out the month.
Then I was consumed with our school musical. My predecessor had warned me against doing too much, and she advised me to NOT take on the school musical. I had known, however, that I wanted to do it because I didn't want anyone else teaching my kids how to sing. As the vocal expert in the school, I felt responsible for instilling good vocal habits and teaching proper technique. My colleague (who has become an excellent friend this year!) and I were fortunate to have additional assistance from very talented high school students who choreographed and staged the entire show. We taught the music and handled virtually all of the logistics. The show was a great success. Our students were marvelous, the audience doubled in size from last year's production to this year, and our very impressed principal called it "delightful" and the "perfect choice for a middle school show." Even better? Some of the students in the show who aren't in my classes this year have signed up to take my classes next year!!!
The month ended with my first overnight field trip for students from my department. The trip was a success, the students were well-behaved, and my collection of Disney movies were popular on the bus. :)
Other important events in April:
*Easter (conducted a choir at one service, accompanied another group at a later service)
*Scheduling for next year: I will be full-time!!! (I will be teaching a subject out of my field, but I do have some experience with it and I'm excited for the opportunity! Plus, it's a huge difference in my salary- 10%!)
*Westley's final concert at GradSchool ... and I loved joining them onstage for the traditional Alumni song ... *sigh* So much has happened since I sang on that stage last ... and so much more may happen before I have the opportunity to sing with them again ...
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Lovely way to begin April
For the past month, my shoulders have been rising, little by little every day, as yesterday approached. In my district, other subject areas are evaluated through the statewide and nationwide standardized tests. My program is formally evaluated on my extracurricular ensemble's performance of repertoire and demonstration of sightreading abilities at a district choral festival. We participated in this festival yesterday.
Our rehearsal on Tuesday morning left much to be desired; the students (fickle at times because they are young adolescents) were chatty and unfocused. Problem areas in our music that we had fixed last week or the week before were suddenly problems once again. We didn't even have time to practice our sightreading during the rehearsal. (We practice this in all class sessions, but this select choir, comprised of students from each of my classes has not ever practiced sightreading together.) I was nervous, to say the least.
When I arrived at school yesterday, students were already waiting for me, even though they were told that they did not have to come early. (Some just wanted to, I suppose.) I didn't have much time to talk with them; I finished writing my substitute's lesson plans for the day and busily prepared everything that I needed: reminders for my chaperones, attendance lists, directions for the bus driver, extra uniform pieces, etc.
When the rest of the students arrived in their striking uniforms, they checked in with the chaperones, received extra uniform pieces (ties/cummerbunds for the boys), and waited. One child wore the wrong color shoes - a strong NO-NO which we had even discussed at yesterday's rehearsal (and which appears in all written communication about our uniforms). Fortunately, she was able to borrow shoes from a teacher (a good friend of mine) and she was able to attend the trip after all.
We departed soon after the shoes fiasco and arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare. We observed one choir and were waiting to observe another when I was informed that we had better go warm up (even though I thought they were running behind). I warmed up the choir ... and during the warm-up, two girls started to goof off. As I was already incredibly stressed, I sternly informed the group that if I saw anyone else goofing off during our very limited warm-up time, the offender would NOT be allowed to perform. They were all wonderful after that. Finally, it was time to go onstage!
My choir neatly filed onto the risers and stood in their formation, and the accompanist and I followed them. The festival manager explained how I was to proceed: She would introduce the choir, me, our accompanist, and our musical selections. I was to wait for the center judge to raise a sign, indicating that the judges were ready for our first piece. There would be some down time in between our three songs so that the judges could speak and write down their comments. I had to wait for the sign before we could go on. I thanked her for explaining this to me, and she walked over to the podium to introduce us.
We began with our non-adjudicated piece, a rousing arrangement of a traditional African American spiritual. The driving tempo, the minor tonality, and the contrasting dynamics require so much energy, and my kids watched and followed my direction intently. The piece culminates with a huge 5-note chord, and when I gave the final cut-off, I felt the audience breathe, impressed, before they burst into applause!
When the adjudicator cued me that we could continue, the accompanist and I began our next piece- a poignant arrangement of a hauntingly beautiful Hebrew folk song about a person seeking peace for his wounded soul. My young soloists sang wonderfully, and the choir entered, demonstrating their lovely full tone. I felt the anguish of the lyrics, and I tried to convey the heaviness, the weight that the wounded soul was feeling through my face and my gestures. My students responded in kind; several of their faces reflected the deep sorrow described in the music, and they shaped their phrases beautifully. Lovely.
After a long pause, I received the sign that we could sing our third and final selection. This piece was a simple and short arrangement of a light, joyful Baroque piece, and it strongly contrasted with the styles of the other two pieces. My skillful accompanist played our introduction, and my students came in gloriously. The color of their sound changed and their voices danced through the melismas. The sudden ending of the piece seemed to catch our audience by surprise, but they applauded, and I bowed once again for my group.
We were directed offstage to the next part of our festival experience: sightreading. While we practice sightreading skills daily in my classes, my students and I were nervous about what we would encounter. We were going to sightsing in 2 parts (something we'd only started to do in the past month) and we didn't know whether the example would be in C Major or G Major. I'd only introduced G Major recently too (because I hadn't been aware of the exact sightreading requirements until a month earlier).
As we passed through the auditorium, my music supervisor gave me a big smile and told me she was so proud of me! I thanked her, grinning, and walked to the front of the line of my students. We waited for a few moments outside the door to the sightreading room, where I was greeted with a "Hi, Estrella!" by the parent of a singer in the youth choir I accompany. This too eased my nerves.
Finally, it was time to sightread. The adjudicator was very pleasant and she led my students and me through the process. I was so pleased with how well they did! She was so pleased with how well they listened and by the respect and focus they demonstrated. Wonderful!
We filed out of the room and my students stood in the hallway while we waited for our scores to be processed. When the auditorium doors re-opened after the performance inside had ended, I went inside to inquire about our scores.
My music supervisor told me that she was "my biggest fan" and was "so proud of me" for all that I'd accomplished with my students, especially as I was a first year teacher. I learned later that 3 of 29 groups had performed music at the same level of difficulty we did. I said to her, "Well, as you know, I inherited a good program." She responded, "Yes, you did, but you've done more than maintain it; you've taken them further."
When my scores were ready, she put them in the envelope and walked with me out to the lobby. Pulling each adjudicator's score sheet out of the envelope, she explained what each meant. We had received superior ratings, and this meant we would qualify for an invitation to participate at the state festival! She gave me a hug as she handed me the envelope, and I went outside to greet my students and the chaperones. They asked about the scores, and I said ...
"Guess who's going to States?!"
"WE are!" They cheered, jumping up and down. We piled onto the buses and headed to a yummy Chinese/American buffet for lunch (which they LOVED) before heading back to school. We congregated in the cafeteria before I released them to classes, and as I was thanking the chaperones and congratulating the students on all their hard work, my principal joined us. He too congratulated them and thanked me, inviting the students to applaud. They cheered some more before returning to class, and I took advantage of having a substitute in my classroom for the full day by going home an hour early! :)
Our rehearsal on Tuesday morning left much to be desired; the students (fickle at times because they are young adolescents) were chatty and unfocused. Problem areas in our music that we had fixed last week or the week before were suddenly problems once again. We didn't even have time to practice our sightreading during the rehearsal. (We practice this in all class sessions, but this select choir, comprised of students from each of my classes has not ever practiced sightreading together.) I was nervous, to say the least.
When I arrived at school yesterday, students were already waiting for me, even though they were told that they did not have to come early. (Some just wanted to, I suppose.) I didn't have much time to talk with them; I finished writing my substitute's lesson plans for the day and busily prepared everything that I needed: reminders for my chaperones, attendance lists, directions for the bus driver, extra uniform pieces, etc.
When the rest of the students arrived in their striking uniforms, they checked in with the chaperones, received extra uniform pieces (ties/cummerbunds for the boys), and waited. One child wore the wrong color shoes - a strong NO-NO which we had even discussed at yesterday's rehearsal (and which appears in all written communication about our uniforms). Fortunately, she was able to borrow shoes from a teacher (a good friend of mine) and she was able to attend the trip after all.
We departed soon after the shoes fiasco and arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare. We observed one choir and were waiting to observe another when I was informed that we had better go warm up (even though I thought they were running behind). I warmed up the choir ... and during the warm-up, two girls started to goof off. As I was already incredibly stressed, I sternly informed the group that if I saw anyone else goofing off during our very limited warm-up time, the offender would NOT be allowed to perform. They were all wonderful after that. Finally, it was time to go onstage!
My choir neatly filed onto the risers and stood in their formation, and the accompanist and I followed them. The festival manager explained how I was to proceed: She would introduce the choir, me, our accompanist, and our musical selections. I was to wait for the center judge to raise a sign, indicating that the judges were ready for our first piece. There would be some down time in between our three songs so that the judges could speak and write down their comments. I had to wait for the sign before we could go on. I thanked her for explaining this to me, and she walked over to the podium to introduce us.
We began with our non-adjudicated piece, a rousing arrangement of a traditional African American spiritual. The driving tempo, the minor tonality, and the contrasting dynamics require so much energy, and my kids watched and followed my direction intently. The piece culminates with a huge 5-note chord, and when I gave the final cut-off, I felt the audience breathe, impressed, before they burst into applause!
When the adjudicator cued me that we could continue, the accompanist and I began our next piece- a poignant arrangement of a hauntingly beautiful Hebrew folk song about a person seeking peace for his wounded soul. My young soloists sang wonderfully, and the choir entered, demonstrating their lovely full tone. I felt the anguish of the lyrics, and I tried to convey the heaviness, the weight that the wounded soul was feeling through my face and my gestures. My students responded in kind; several of their faces reflected the deep sorrow described in the music, and they shaped their phrases beautifully. Lovely.
After a long pause, I received the sign that we could sing our third and final selection. This piece was a simple and short arrangement of a light, joyful Baroque piece, and it strongly contrasted with the styles of the other two pieces. My skillful accompanist played our introduction, and my students came in gloriously. The color of their sound changed and their voices danced through the melismas. The sudden ending of the piece seemed to catch our audience by surprise, but they applauded, and I bowed once again for my group.
We were directed offstage to the next part of our festival experience: sightreading. While we practice sightreading skills daily in my classes, my students and I were nervous about what we would encounter. We were going to sightsing in 2 parts (something we'd only started to do in the past month) and we didn't know whether the example would be in C Major or G Major. I'd only introduced G Major recently too (because I hadn't been aware of the exact sightreading requirements until a month earlier).
As we passed through the auditorium, my music supervisor gave me a big smile and told me she was so proud of me! I thanked her, grinning, and walked to the front of the line of my students. We waited for a few moments outside the door to the sightreading room, where I was greeted with a "Hi, Estrella!" by the parent of a singer in the youth choir I accompany. This too eased my nerves.
Finally, it was time to sightread. The adjudicator was very pleasant and she led my students and me through the process. I was so pleased with how well they did! She was so pleased with how well they listened and by the respect and focus they demonstrated. Wonderful!
We filed out of the room and my students stood in the hallway while we waited for our scores to be processed. When the auditorium doors re-opened after the performance inside had ended, I went inside to inquire about our scores.
My music supervisor told me that she was "my biggest fan" and was "so proud of me" for all that I'd accomplished with my students, especially as I was a first year teacher. I learned later that 3 of 29 groups had performed music at the same level of difficulty we did. I said to her, "Well, as you know, I inherited a good program." She responded, "Yes, you did, but you've done more than maintain it; you've taken them further."
When my scores were ready, she put them in the envelope and walked with me out to the lobby. Pulling each adjudicator's score sheet out of the envelope, she explained what each meant. We had received superior ratings, and this meant we would qualify for an invitation to participate at the state festival! She gave me a hug as she handed me the envelope, and I went outside to greet my students and the chaperones. They asked about the scores, and I said ...
"Guess who's going to States?!"
"WE are!" They cheered, jumping up and down. We piled onto the buses and headed to a yummy Chinese/American buffet for lunch (which they LOVED) before heading back to school. We congregated in the cafeteria before I released them to classes, and as I was thanking the chaperones and congratulating the students on all their hard work, my principal joined us. He too congratulated them and thanked me, inviting the students to applaud. They cheered some more before returning to class, and I took advantage of having a substitute in my classroom for the full day by going home an hour early! :)
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