What's Well Begun

"Dimidium facti qui coepit habet."(What's well begun, is half done.)- Horace

There it went, folks. The first week of school is done. It has come to my attention that weeks never last as long as you would like nor pass as quickly as we would like. But my primary week of being a graduate teaching assistant is finished. What the heck just happened?

My class went through a syllabus, laid on the floor of the classroom just breathing - try it sometime, focusing on the breath - they even started conversing critically about vocalists and what they're hearing. I am proud of them and can't wait to see where they go once we start singing. Speaking of singing, my private students are the best ever. I gave out some amazing repertoire and they are all up for the challenge. I had one student come into lesson on Tuesday having never sung before. They were nervous and sheepish about their voice and I could barely hear them when they started. After some coaching, breath-control training, working out of the lower abs and yelling at imaginary younger siblings, her voice started ringing, was clearly audible, and a natural, pure vibrato started shining through. I love teaching.

Most of my classes have started now as well. I am taking one online class this semester, and it's definitely throwing me for a loop. I'd never even considered taking an online course, now I need one for my masters and I'm TAing for one. To figure. Such a different style of learning and it's gong to be hard to keep myself on task, but I can do it. Conducting is going to be fantastic - we're preparing scores and "conducting" Mozart's Coronation Mass and Faure's Requiem. Two gorgeous pieces. My technique has drifted downhill in terms of wrist movement and fluid elbows, but my professor will whip me into shape. Choir also started today. There are about thirty of us in the choir and we're singing some great literature. More on that later.

Be on the lookout on my blog for things written in the International Phonetic Alphabet as diction is going to be my favorite thing this semester. It's gonna rock. I just started knitting a scarf yesterday, perhaps too many cables, but it looks awesome. I am so ready for Autumn weather so I can wear all my sweaters and scarves. Best time of year, fall.

Go listen to some Nathan Gunn or Diana Damrau on YouTube and think of me while your IQ goes up. Stay awesome!

A Room With A View

“We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won't do harm - yes, choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.” - E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

The University Building with the Big "M" in the background.

As I contemplate the coming school year I am filled with dread. This is the same sort of dread I would assume all professors feel upon the embarking of a new school year. Will my students like me? Will I make a difference? Will I have the ability to teach? All these questions and more are running through my mind.

The last few days have been rather humdrum. I spent most of my time sitting in my room watching endless episodes of Supernatural, Desperate Housewives, and South Park, biding my television time until Doctor Who returns September 1st. Between these marathons of Netflix time I have gone on several walks. These have gotten me to the point of near-memorization of the University of Montana's campus and the area immediately surrounding my house. In fact, I found a small bookshop/cafe/local-food-market of which I looked forward to being a patron, but walked up right as it closed. This led to the discovery of a smoothie shop in the University Center that makes some of their smoothies with POG (passion orange guava juice...aka the best thing ever). This smoothie is what makes a beautiful Saturday such as today wonderful while wandering around by myself.

Me and the Grizzly that I have to pass
everyday on my way to work/school.

I sat through several hours of auditions yesterday for the voice studios and am now the proud teacher of six students, plus the sixteen in my singing for non-majors course. Lord, help them. I am all signed up for my classes, but for one which requires an override slip, but have yet to buy any of my books. We'll get those once the classes meet and I know what I truly need.

My anticipation is mounting and the bear in the loop is gleaming in the sun, shining out the energy that is starting to pervade the campus. I can but hope that my time here will prove useful both to me and my students, and that I emerge on the other end changed for the better with a degree that will serve me well throughout my years. Now, to soak up a little more of that sun and watch some more tv shows.

There's No Place Like...

As I look around my unpacked room and think about what's going on, I can't help but wonder how I got here. How did this become home? My voice teacher at Whitworth received an email from a voice teacher at UMT asking him to send over his best singer. I came, auditioned, found a place to live, then everything fast-forwarded to this current moment.

I am tired. This summer pushed me to my limits but God revived me. I was blessed with a vacation to the Oregon coast, my favorite place on the planet, and God lifted my spirits. I arrived in Missoula, Montana, yesterday and didN't know how to react or what to feel. This state of numbness is still pervading my mind. Perhaps it's the fact that I haven't gotten more than five hours of sleep each of the past few nights, but I pray that God pours into me afresh for this school year.

Today was spent running hither and yon making sure I had everything I needed, including groceries, as well as unpacking my bedroom, kitchen supplies, and office. After thirteen hours, I can honestly say that fatigue has won the day. But I'm where I'm supposed to be, isn't that what "home" is? I sure hope so because I have a whole lot of home coming at me for the next two years.

Let me tell you something. Supercenter Wal Marts are a strange, wonderful thing. I got everything I needed, but goodness, let it be known that was the only, I repeat only, time in my life when I will shop for groceries at a Wal Mart. I am going to make curried chicken salad sometime soon and was gathering the ingredients but couldn't find chutney. Forgetting that I was a) in Missoula, and b) in Wal Mart I went up to a shelf-stocker and asked where the chutney was. He gave me a look that rivaled that which clung to the faces of the deer in my front yard this morning. I remembered at once where I was and decided I didn't need chutney for the salad.

Have you all seen the "people who shop at Wal Mart" YouTube video? If you haven't, you should. Then multiply it by 100 and you'll get Wal Mart in Missoula. Goodness, the cultural climate here is very strange. It seems to me to be a mix of Portland, Hinterwalden, San Francisco, and who knows what. I have never seen a more disjointed citizenship. There are some beautiful parts of town, though, and some awesome restaurants. My dad and I ate at an Italian place named "Ciao Mambo". The penne I ordered was exceptional and the Sauvignon Blanc was perfect as a tag-on. Also, we found an ice cream joint named "Big Dipper Ice Cream" and I'm gonna be going there often. Cardamom ice cream is my new favorite flavor.

But as I write this my head is starting to fall onto the screen of my iPad. I look forward to where I am and exploring it in the weeks to come!

Once More Unto The Breach

"Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,

Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit

To his full height. On, on, you noblest English." 

                      - Henry V, Act III, Scene 1 - William Shakespeare

As I look upon the coming year I am filled both with resolve and hesitance. I hear the voice in the back of my mind cheering me on, telling me that I am ready for this adventure and have been given the tools needed to begin this journey. At the same time, I hear the little devil on my shoulder snickering and clapping his hands in glee over the things I have yet to understand about my new responsibilities.

I am off for the beginning of two years at the University of Montana. There I will be fulfilling my goal of achieving my masters degree in classical voice. I had my reservations going into this whole ordeal as I was ready to move to Seattle and begin my teaching and performing career right after my undergrad, but God had larger plans for me. I didn't believe Him at first, but He blessed me with rushing my paperwork for grad school through extremely quickly - just a few days - and finding me a place to live on the cheap right next to campus. 

But still, I was unsure as to whether or not I really had the chops and the guts to pursue my career. Four years into my singing education and career and I still was unsure. What was I thinking? But then tonight my parents took me out for a farewell dinner at a Thai restaurant near my home in the Seattle area. A jazz pianist was performing and we were seated right next to him, much to my delight. He began playing many Tin Pan Alley standards and songs I have grown to love through the years and I, naturally, began to hum along and then sing quietly (honestly, I thought I was being quiet!). 

Three or four songs in, the pianist leaned over the wall and asked, "Who is the singer over here?" I sheepishly raised my hand and claimed responsibility. At this point he grilled me briefly about my education and invited me to sing a song with him if I so desired. Feeling self-conscious I turned him down, but as the meal wore on I wanted to sing "They Can't Take That Away from Me" by George and Ira Gershwin. This is one of my favorite songs and it seemed appropriate to sing at this juncture so I leaned back and asked if he knew it. After fumbling for the right key we settled on F, he pulled me onto the stage, and I performed it in front of the whole restaurant. 

I must admit, it was quite fun, and I kept receiving compliments from our waitress and other patrons of the restaurant. It was just the kick in the pants I needed as I leave for this next huge step in my life.

Pray for me as I leave and go to a city I barely know, where I have very few friends, but where I know I need to be. Pray for patience, peace, and a daily reminder of His grace and wonder. Now, just as King Henry and his men noted, I aim to show the mettle of my pasture and that I am worth my breeding. Here I go, off to follow my Spirit!