Long Week

It's been a long week this week. Everyone has been sick, over the weekend it was the son of the couple I work with. He had gotten so sick over the weekend that they took him to hospital. Monday P went home after his first class, and I got some things organised for his class yesterday and today. It's been really lonely in the department by myself, but I feel like I managed pretty well. I took the band rehearsals monday, tuesday and wednesday.

I'm on Jenny Craig food again this week. I'm hungry, and tired and cranky this week. I have headaches a lot. I need to drink more water, but I'm sick of having to go to the toilet all the time... On the bright side I lost 1.3kg this week! I'm looking forward to another big loss, closest I've even been to my goal weight.

Singing Competition

Today was the second sunday that I've played at this singing compeition. I had two students to play for, I was nervous about playing piano because I didn't have confidence that I could play properly from beginning to end. Plus the piano was up high, so you had to stand to play, lucky there was a stool for me to sit on.

The first girl I played for had been sick all this week so she wasn't very confident about her performance today. I was happy with how I played for her, there was only one shaky part, which we hadn't been able to get together at all. She seemed a little down at the end, she wasn't happy with how she sang.

The second girl was after lunch, I had it in my head that she was later in the set, she was actually on first and they started early so I wasn't there when she was supposed to go on stage. They let her go on after I had gotten there. I said I'm sorry so many times to her. Not a great precedent to be setting if I want more accompaniment work.

I decided to stay and see the rest of the singers, and it was a good thing I stayed. Another young girl, only 13 was singing the same song that I had played earlier, and when she got to the end of the first verse her backing C.D started jumping and stopped. So I ran up on stage and played for her so she could sing. It made up for missing the first spot, and everyone thought I'd done something great. I was just glad that she wasn't disappointed, that she was able to sing. I look forward to a lot more playing for these events.

So I have three weeks left of this term before the holidays. I have made great progress in the wedding plans; the suits are ordered, just need fittings, I have asked about the cake and the flowers, and I'm going to the reception venue on Thursday with family to ask the questions that we need to ask.

The more lists I make this week the better I think.

Post Number 185

Things went very well today, I had two successful classes, started guitars with the year sevens and had fun generally with the students at school. I'm feeling on top of things at the moment, the problem is going to be when the uni work gets in the way again when everything becomes due in a month or so. It's hard work but I did agree to do it, and if I do a little bit constantly, then it will be easier. Must remember that I have to finish another class in January.

I got all the invitations sorted out today and put a lot of them in the post. It's a great feeling to have got that out of the way. It was getting very pressing to get stamps on them and get them away. Next things on the list is to work out what needs to be paid in the next month, and to go see the reception venue to sort out the menu and the price and the guest list. Hopefully I'm getting on top of things.

Trip

I have been away on my first overnight school trip with students. We travelled to a bands festival with the junior and intermediate stage bands, 28 kids, 3 teachers and a bus. It was really great to get to know most of the kids a lot better, I'm fitting into the department so well now, they are coming to see me for things, they don't have to rely on the other two teachers so much. The students played so well, though I didn't have a lot to do with the students learning these pieces, I still felt proud of them achieving something. The next lot of music I will know a lot better, and know how to work on it with the students.

I was so tired today at school, it took me so long to get going. It's a bit mean that I only get a one day weekend, I'm only 4 weeks in and I start to see how important the weekends get. And how great it will be to get some holidays. It's so high pressure, working with students, so many different voices all wanting something, a hundred different things to be watching and stopping and starting assignments and keeping them motivated. It's exhausting. I felt really responsible for the students, constantly counting them and watching what they were doing and getting them moving. It's time for bed.

I'm playing piano for a few of the students in a singing competition in a few weeks, a great chance for me to get started as an accompanist with students and maybe work outside of school too. Even this early in I feel like I am settling into this job so well. I am working out my place in the scheme of things, but I have plans for this department and these kids. I can see where I want this job to be, and I can start moving in that direction already.

Wedding Countdown

Now that we have moved into the next month, I feel like time is very quickly counting down now. I am sorting out the invitations to post off tomorrow, the final 'big task' before getting into the little things. I am excited that my dress will be arriving soon, I can't wait to wear it.

I'm making a list of all the places that I need to pay off soon, it's a pretty big list at this stage. Getting married can be so expensive. It's going to be a great day though.

Getting everything sorted out at school with the classes and assignments for uni seems like such a big task at this stage! Over these last three weeks, I feel like I've made it. Once I work out how everything runs, this will be a fun and exciting job that will fit me very well indeed.

Classes have been getting better, now that I have a better idea about the types of things that I need to be taking them through. I'm getting a better idea about how to start talking about things like chords and scales, but it's so hard to put sentences together that they understand. On the one hand some of the things I've tried to go through have been too hard, on the other hand not hard enough. I tried to go through intervals, but made it too hard, while the rhythms stuff they are frustrated with because it's too easy. Anyway, at least I can see when it's too hard and too easy. Back to the drawing board.

So....

You wanted another update?

Well here it is.

Updated.