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!