Back to School

Well school begins Monday. I am excited about all the new things that will come of this semester and nervous for them at the same time. Two weeks ago I started back working with the Albuquerque High School marching band...they are doing great for a late band camp start and getting another new director. It will be an interesting yet amazing season. The kids are doing great and I love working with them. I feel weird not being at UNM marching band camp this week but my time marching is over. Seven years was quite enough. I am now just teaching marching band, which fills the desire to march quite well, without the pain in my knee. I look forward to Pageant and Zia, to see where the hard work will pay off...best woodwinds anyone?

I spent the say cleaning...yes that is what I find myself doing the last Friday before school starts. I needed to get everything organized so I can be sane during the semester. Got the bathroom all nice and sparkly...doesn't happen often. I look forward to being organized again.

School...well I am starting many new things. Starting as an elementary education major, finishing up my music education minor this school year and doing college choir for the first time. Choir should be lots of fun and a great learning experience. I have seven private music students, on flute, piano and basic voice and will be starting a home school choir in September. I can't wait to see where these new adventures take me. I look forward to new friends and hopefully some new outlooks on college through the education department. I know that all will be fine, once I get going. Can't wait.

This week I was also thinking about Pop-Pop. Last night especially. I was thinking about the many conversations I had with him about school and music. As a fellow musician, a great bass singer in his church choir and a one point doing an Elvis impersonation, he understood my desire to spread music in a way that many don't. He was always encouraging me to push to greater musical heights and knew that if I put my mind to it, I would indeed succeed. When it came to academics, Pop-Pop wanted his grandchildren to be very successful and full of knowledge. I remember in high school having to ask for help on math on occasion from him, knowing that he would try to teach me the skills I needed to pass the test with flying colors. I am taking elementary math this semester, which shouldn't be too difficult after pre-calculus, but I was just remembering those math tutoring sessions and how my brain felt like it would explode from the information being fed to it by my nuclear engineer grandpa. It's memories like that that will stay with me for my entire life. I keep wondering how September will be for all members of the family and Thanksgiving and Christmas. It will be hard, but we will have each other. I know he would be proud of all of us grand kids and our many endeavors. He would want us to never lack in zeal. I love my Pop-Pop. I am so glad that I still have my Grandma because she is one amazing woman and I am so grateful for the many things she does for me.

School here I come!

Keller Hall

I have decided that the most fun part of my job at a Keller Hall staff member is meeting musicians from all over at seminars and longer events. This week is the Joe Allessi Seminar so I am getting more than 20 hours of listening to trombones- solo, accompanied, quartets and choirs- all of which are very wonderful to listen to. I have been able to read some of the books I couldn't read while in summer school and listen to wonderful musicianship. Fun times.

I have also found that teaching my students brings me great joy. Music is fun and exciting, but sharing it with others is amazingly wonderful. I have a new piano student, whose mom is almost more excited about my teaching him than he is but he loves to play and has a good ear for music. He played classical and jazz with ease today in my first lesson with him and made sure to let me know what he had done with his last teacher. I am excited to see where things go and what he will accomplish. My other students are doing great as well. Some more adding to instruments to teach and soon a choir to instruct. I am so thankful to my students and their families for the joy they bring me for allowing me to spread my love of music with them. I look forward to caroling with the choir during the winter season and sharing the Christmas season with those who are unable to be home for Christmas due to illness. I hope to take them to the UNM Children's Hospital or to Lovelace Cancer center to carol and spread the love of Christ.

Along with working and music I look forward to the new semester ahead. Elementary education becomes more and more exciting to me as the days go on. I am ready for the new challenges and work load that will come and look forward to making some new friends and seeing others that I haven't seen all summer. Should be lots of fun.

I am ready for routine again. I look forward to the days ahead and thank everyone who has been there for me the past seven months, this year has been extremely hard for many reasons and I wouldn't have been so successful without the support of family and friends.

Live life to the fullest and remember that one smile may make someone's day.