In case you didn’t see the FB post, I’ve been hired as the Director of Bands at Tascosa HS, a 5A high school in Amarillo, TX. I’m really excited about the new job! We have a BAND-tastic creative team in place with Daniel Montoya, Jr., composer, Daniel Wiles, drill writer, and Nick Angelis writing the drum book. I have an amazing staff (minus one for the brief moment) and an incredibly supportive administration. What else could a girl want?
MOVERS. I hate packing and I have a lot of stuff! I have plenty of boxes and packing material and I’m very blessed to have Angela helping me pack this weekend. I’m also very blessed that my current landlord is letting me store my packed boxes in an empty unit in my building. That helps SO MUCH because it gives me room to keep building and packing boxes. I can do this.
I’m picking up the truck on Monday and the movers are coming Monday afternoon to load the truck and we leave on Tuesday morning for Amarillo via Austin. Clipford has been in Austin with my parents then with my sister and brother-in-law so I’m picking him up on my way to Amarillo on Tuesday.
Any suggestions on how to move plants? I have quite a few of various sizes that will need to be moved and because I need to leave room in my car for Clipford and his stuff, I don’t think I’ll be able to put them in my car. I’ve put a lot of work into potting and caring for them, I’d hate to leave them behind.
Okay, I’m grungy and tired so more packing will happen tomorrow. For now, shower then bed. G’night.
Copland composer report – DONE!
Create 2 test questions – DONE!
Read pgs 50-137 – In progress.
Bibliography (so far) – DONE!
Lesson plan for Mr. McInturf’s “How To Be A Band Director” class (I’m teaching them about Charms on Monday). – DONE!
And if the weather clears up a bit, I’d like to swim both Saturday & Sunday. Easy weekend, don’t ya think? Okay, gotta go!!
This summer has been my busiest summer in quite a while. Last month, I attended the University of North Texas Conducting Collegium for two weeks (4 sessions). It was such an amazing experience and I was fortunate to meet so many wonderful people (shout out to the Peanut Gallery!!!). There were 44 pieces and there was something enjoyable about almost every one of them.
The piece I conducted was Celebration, by Joseph Turrin, and it is a great piece to open a concert with! It’s a Grade 3 piece but it doesn’t mean its easy. It’s available via C Alan Publications.
So, the big news – during the Collegium, they replaced a piece that was obviously too difficult to be considered a Grade 3 (this year’s music was all Grade 2 & Grade 3) once they ran through the piece. Every piece that is on the CDs has a Study Guide in the book written for it so one needed to be written for the replacement piece and Professor Corporon asked me to write the Study Guide. Yes folks, I’m about to be PUBLISHED!!! And it’s such an honor that of everyone that was there, he asked me.
I’m writing about Akatonbo by Joseph Spaniola. It’s published by Musica Propria. It is a beautiful piece and we read it several times with the Stony Point Concert Band but it never quite worked for their UIL program. I’ve also been excited that it’s a western interpretation of a Japanese folk song. Talk about fitting me to a T! 🙂 There are very strict guidelines from GIA on how it should be written but they include a template to work from which helps so much. I’m almost done with the writing part. I just have a few questions (which, of course, may lead to more questions) to get answered by Dr. Spaniola. Speaking of the composer, I’m so blessed that he’s been so kind and helpful in this process. They asked me to write the study guide in about 2 weeks (everyone else had about 3 months) and having access to him has been a Godsend!
Hardest part about writing for me is writing formally and not writing in circles. I’ve always had issues with that so editing takes a village. Thankfully, I have a few people who have offered to help. It’s about time to send them a draft. 🙂 Anywho, I just had to take a break from all my researching and writing I keep Tweeting about share this exciting news!
Posted on 6 July, 2012 6 July, 2012 Categories A Better Me, College Kid, The Band DirectorTags researchLeave a comment on Such an honor!
A lot has happened since I last posted a “real” blog entry.
I’ve applied to several graduate conducting programs (MM) and have decided to go to Sam Houston State University. I’ve gotten acceptance letters from the University as well as a Graduate Assistantship so I’m now officially a Bearkat (what’s a Bearkat? A naked Bobcat!! The last time I’ll probably be able to make that joke for a while 🙂 ). I’ll be moving to Huntsville, TX mid-July. If you want to help me move, I’ll take all the help I can get. I have a lot of stuff.
Speaking of a lot of stuff, I’m having a garage sale on Saturday, May 21. Yes, it’s the morning after my birthday but I think celebrations are going to happen on Saturday evening so I’m not too concerned. If you’d like to participate in the garage sale, let me know. The more the merrier! I’m selling mostly clothes but I’m sure there will be some furniture and such in the mix. It’s hard to know how much I need to downsize since I haven’t been to Huntsville to find a place to live or not yet. That’s happening sometime in early June.
It’s a good thing I got this spot and GA at Sam because my position at Stony Point has been cut (cue sad music here). I have a contract through the 2011-2012 school year but seeing as they’ve cut 5 or 6 band directors at least 50% with only 1 spot open to fill, I have a feeling they’d tap into my other certifications (I have quite a few) and I’d get stuck teaching general elementary education. As much as I enjoyed student teaching 5th grade social studies and language arts, it was a novelty and a means to an end and I couldn’t imagine myself doing that for real! Some can with no thought – juggling all those subjects and small people is NOT for me!
Brad got a job in Beaumont (YAY!) but because of the distance and lack of time, he decided that being in the relationship we were in was too hard, considering what a terrible year he’s had already. He just can’t put anymore stress on his emotions right now. He broke things off two weeks ago (cue more sad music here). I guess I really can’t blame him, knowing everything I know about what’s happened in the past year. It doesn’t stop it from sucking, though. I really miss him. But you know me – shed gallons of tears, put my head down and I’ll prevail yet again. Who knows what will happen when I move to Huntsville, either. You just have to keep on living.
What else…nothing much I can think of right now. I guess I could go back and re-read my last “real” blog post to find other things but that’s enough for now. Take care!