Here Come the Changes

It's funny, but this is the first New Year's that I decided not to make any resolutions. It seems to me that if a person is serious about making changes or improvements in his life, he should be committed enough to make the change without needing a Hallmark holiday to say "Ready-Set-Go."
I certainly wouldn't say that I want everything to stay as it is right now. Quite the opposite. My life is about to completely change regardless of if I want it to or not. I would much rather be proactive at this time and see the changes happen in my favor than ignore the inevitable until I'm depressed months from now saying "what happened?"
I seem to make new resolutions and goals every time I move. With my studio apartment in Denton, I resolved to take advantage of living so close to campus and walk to school every day. And, in rain, snow, hot and cold, I walked hundredes of miles in less than a year's time while I lived there, back and forth from campus to Bernard Street. In this most recent apartment, my big initiative kind of blew up in my face. The idea was to only unpack what I would absolutely need, and leave the rest boxed up. I was only going to live here for 5 months, and boxing things up is a pain. This would be efficient. By the 4th and 5th month I was constantly tripping over piles of such efficiency, and finding the simplest things like a highlighter or a book became real chores because those things weren't in their place, they were efficiently in the bottom of some box in the back of some closet or in the corner of a room.

But 2009 is different. New apartment? Yes! And I'm paying more for this apartment than any of my previous ones. Part of that is because this is a really nice apartment community. There is a 24 hour workout room. I got a taste of treadmills and weight machines using the YMCA between tonsillitis bouts this summer, and would like daily to feel the way one feels after an early morning run (or late afternoon) on the treadmill or bike. I'd like to spend money at the grocery store buying less food and buying more ingredients so I can have more say over the nutrition and cost of the food I eat. I want to set up my living room in such a way so as to make my small space inviting to groups of people. I plan to join a church and be able to use my apartment for discussion groups and friendly get togethers.

Of course, I have many goals and dreams for my new job. Not that I want to change anything; I'm starting fresh. I have wanted an opportunity like this for some time, and teachers, friends, and professors have been preparing me to do this for the last several years. Time to take the training wheels off and ride! No doubt I will fall and there will be some skinned knees, but it's time.

2008 was a year of great blessing, and I will comment on a few. I have no doubt that by doing this I will unavoidably leave something out:

Singing Oaks - This past spring I finished my time as worship minister at Singing Oaks in Denton. Having this experience was a great opportunity and enriched my life in many ways, but it was also a blessing to end this chapter and regain hold of the boundaries around my time management and commitments. I still talk to several close friends at Singing Oaks, and have enjoyed being back there a few times since to visit.
Italy - Jordan got to spend a semester at the Harding satellite campus in Florence. She still tells all kinds of stories about places and things in Europe that make me want to go there someday. Additionally, it was a stretch and exercise of our patience to go three solid months without seeing each other or even having a thorough conversation.
Award - I was surprised in April to be designated the "Outstanding Undergraduate Music Education Major" for UNT. There were a number of us eligible for consideration, and I had no idea that I was contending for the award until I found out that I was selected as the winner. A humbling honor considering the caliber of so many of my classmates and the fact that I am not a straight A student.
The Music Man - After a string of enjoyable musicals at United Players, this past summer I landed my dream job with my favorite musical. With very generous help and encouragement from Laney Carlin and Laurie Purcell, I music directed the United Players summer musical. The show saw record-breaking attendance, great reviews from local papers and community members, and the group was extremely kind and helpful in seeing me through my first music directing assignment.
Tonsils - On the tail end of this election season, we are more aware than ever what a blessing it is in any country to have health care coverage. 22 years of chronic Ear, Nose and Throat ailments, my tonsils were infected more in the first half of 2008 than ever before in my life. Around the first of August I had them removed by our friend Dr. Cynthia Tarver and made a considerably smooth recovery. My singing voice is still not quite back where I'd like it to be, but for the first time in my life I got through a fall semester of school without so much as a common cold or fever!
Katelyn - Marla and Josh are now the proud parents of the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. I am going to miss seeing her every weekend. More than ever, Marla, I am counting on faithful blogging and facebook updates so I can watch her grow.
Student teaching - Perhaps I haven't blogged enough the past few months about student teaching. I couldn't possibly say how enriching this experience has been. But the main points would be that Bingiee Shiu is a Godly man, and he heads a cluster of consummate orchestra teachers inside a community that has a uniquely deep love for the arts and quality orchestral music.
Graduation/job - As planned, I graduated at the conclusion of the fall semester. As of December 13, 2008, I hold a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. To everyone's surprise (some slightly more than others) I also landed a job. What's more, I landed a great job.

Christmas Comes Early For the Teachers

I am student teaching with some of the very best people in the whole wide world. I've known that for some time. I finish this week with highly mixed feelings. I am eager to begin working with Katy High School, and excited about the things that are poised to take place there. I like that school, I like the kids, I like the principal. They have had a rough past few years, and I would not wish that kind of frustration on anybody, especially high school students. BUT, I do like what it has created in many of them - a drive and a great desire to have a good orchestra experience. They want the program to move forward and they're ready to work!
I have built friendships with so many of the kids both at Memorial High School and Middle School. I will miss visiting with them in the mornings as they hang out and study in the orchestra room before school. I will miss talking to them and hearing them talk about school, what they like, what music they like and stuff like that. With so many of the middle schoolers, I will mainly miss getting to see how they develop into full-grown people. I wonder when some of them will out-grow their awkward phases. Among the beginners, I want to know what kinds of players they're going to turn into. Are any of them going to start taking private lessons and become all-staters? Will that one kid who is the class clown end up being class president or will he just remain a little kid who does anything for a laugh? How will the 8th graders do when they get to high school? Some of them will no doubt hit the ground running and no doubt be some of the best players from day one. Some of them will have a rude awakening when they're little antics and annoying forgetfulness isn't tolerated. Which ones will meet the challenge and grow into responsible high school students, and which ones will sadly refuse and trade their orchestra experience to put off learning responsibility a bit longer?

But this week has been fun. We got to hear their chamber music performances and enjoy the fruit of so much of our work from this semester.
AND . . . . . . . Presents!
I've gotten the nicest cards, notes, and well wishes at both schools. On top of that, I've got a new coffee maker, Starbucks money, a dancing Hallmark penguin, penguin tie, penguin coin bank (they figured out that I like penguins) restaurant gift cards, all kinds of baked cookies and snack mixes, and a few pieces of holiday decor that are "for your new apartment in Katy."

Speaking of my new apartment, I get the new keys this evening, hopefully. Tomorrow is moving day, and I will waste no time getting settled in.

Job Announcement

I hope to replace this with a more detailed post later, but knowing the number of times I've started posts that way and never gone back and changed them, this is probably how it will stay:

As of Friday I was told that I will be hired as the Head Orchestra Director at Katy High School. "Head" is the word we're using but "only" would also be accurate. The job does come with some challenges and obstacles and will be hard work, but it seems like a better scenario than just about anything I could have imagined finding for a first job - seeing as how I'm looking to start smack dab in the middle of the school year.
The job search seemed to move so slowly, I guess it started when I attended the TMEA job fair back in February, and then resumed in September/October when I began applying and searching. Suddenly less than a week after interviews, I have only a few weeks to pack up and move (again.) I'm hoping to make this move last a bit longer. Since leaving home for college, 9 months is the longest I've lived in any one place. Time to break that record.