Lot of Fun Things

By special request (some whining was involved) I created two more little knitted friends for Judy and MaryK.

This is Judy's Princess Kate:

MaryK will receive hers next Monday, at which time little kitty will be named.

I hosted stitching this morning so spent some time yesterday preparing the dining room (adding an extra leaf in the table and locating appropriate tablecloths) and the kitchen for my discerning guests. It's always a nice way to start our week.

During our get-together I got an email from a former student from the 1980s, Dennis. Chris, Andrew, and I were talking about him last month at our lunch and wondered how he was doing. I googled him and found that he was on faculty at a university in New Brunswick so I fired off an email to tell him we'd been talking and thinking about him.

I was so pleased to get a response from him this morning, so forwarded his email to Andrew, Chris, and another former student, Karen. I then sent Dennis a newsy email. Coincidentally, this afternoon I found a program from a show in which I played in the pit orchestra in the early 80s. I remembered we needed some reed players so a couple of my more accomplished students (then in grade 12 or 13) also performed with the group. I scanned the program and have sent it to the both of them. It is so fun to remember some of these good times from the past. I taught some amazing young people and am pleased to get in touch with any who are interested in catching up on the last decades since we last were together.

Being a high school music teacher afforded me the chance to really get to know many of my students over the 4 or 5 years they were in my classes or bands.  A lot of  social and intellectual development happens during those years. Years later, with the help of social media (mostly Facebook) and search engines, it has been possible to follow up and see how life has been for some them. Most have had very interesting and satisfying lives. I've been invited to some of their weddings and other important events in their lives over the years. I have attended the school's anniversary/reunion celebrations and run into many others.

Most students in my classes and bands had very enjoyable times learning to play an instrument and in larger ensembles. Aesthetic education 'massages' different parts of the brain than most other school disciplines. Shy, outgoing, introverted, timid, extroverted kids are all welcomed in the music program and it is a pleasure to see them develop over the years. I have always felt so privileged to have been able to interact with kids in this way. It is so fun to reminisce with them now, decades later.

Personally, I've been involved in creating music since taking voice lessons as a little girl, playing recorders with my dad and sister, taking piano lessons, playing the oboe in high school and majoring on it in university, playing in my town bands, working as a music educator for 30 years - teaching and conducting bands, vocal ensembles, and classroom guitar, and now finding my way back to creating music again after a hiatus of over a decade and attending summer adult music camp. 

I have been fortunate to have made many friends along the way.