let the games begin!!!

I've been blogging for a while now, but decided it's time to move it around to a less juvenile venue. Hopefully, I mean. If you are interested in anything I've written previously, look here.

Tumblr is awesome and what not, but it functions more as a social network and not a true blog spot. So here I am now. And I'm blaming Angel for putting me here. Actually, I'm giving her credit, because she started it and, well, she's awesome.

And now, about last night:

A surreal night

Last night I was at my Alma Mater for an Alumni concert. The man who first told me I would be a singer retired after 45 years at Clarke. The concert was comprised of the current Collegiate singers who performed 2 pieces on their own, and then the over 130 alums going as far back as graduates from the class of 1968 sang 6 pieces.
The turnout was huge! And it was such a very touching concert. It was very informal, too. It was quite a contrast from all the concerts I had sung during my 4 years with that choir. Those were always serious, professional events. This concert was full of laughter, mischief, and tears. The Maestro’s children sang in the choir, and his son did the solo for ‘In dat great gettin’ up mornin’. His 2 granddaughters did the opening solo for ‘May the Lord Bless You’. Maestro for many years had a choral/professional relationship with The Little Singers of Tokyo in Japan. They skyped in and performed a song as a tribute to him.
I am not a publicly emotional person. I’m a stoic who saves my tears for private. But I couldn’t help but have my eyes well up at the sheer outpouring of gratitude, grace, and love that happened last night.
Moments like these are too few and far between. For one day, nothing else mattered. It became a communion of appreciation and respect. This man impacted so many lives throughout almost half a century. He touched so many people with his teachings. He didn’t just teach about music, he taught about life.
My own story with Maestro starts in the Spring of 1999. As I was, like most High School Seniors, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the next 4 years of my life. From the time I was in 3rd Grade I’d always been involved in music. I loved it, I excelled at it. I decided I wanted to be a music teacher. I expressed interest in Clarke because my aunt had gone there. I put that little school code on my ACT test as a place to have the results sent. Since I scored pretty darn well, they sent me a letter offering me a scholarship that basically amounted to 1 years worth of tuition. So I took a tour.
In order to be accepted into the Music Ed program, you have to audition both instrumentally and vocally. At this time, I was much more instrumental than vocal. While I knew I could sing, I had a large awkward voice that was hard to blend in with others.
My audition for the instrumental went just fine. Earlier that Spring I’d achieved a 1st in Solo/Ensemble with my Telemann Suite for Flute so I knew that would be ok. When I got to the voice audition, I gave it a good try. I knew it would be good enough to get into the program, and that’s all I worried about. After I finished my song, Maestro just sat back in his chair with his arms folded and looked at me and said ‘You’re going to be a singer’.
‘Yeah right’ I thought as I left that day. I had accomplished my mission to be accepted into the program and that’s all I was worried about.
Over the course of the next four years, Maestro showed me that I truly do have a talent in singing. What I thought was an awkward large voice turned out to be an ugly duckling. This turns out to be something that is typical of my voice type. The voice is awkward and hard to work with in the teen years, but really matures during the singer’s late 30’s and early 40’s. Halfway into my Sophomore year, I dropped the Education part and became a straight Music Major.
This choice led me down many paths, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for that choice. I sometimes wonder what would have happened had I stuck with my Music Education degree. Would I have gone to live in NYC? Would I have gone crazy dealing with kids and wondering why I was unhappy all the time? Would I have gained the introspection that has driven me for the past 5 years to become a healthier, happier person? Would I have eventually found the right career for me that makes me excessively happy as I have recently? Who knows.
But I know one thing for certain. Maestro believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. He challenged me, and sometimes I really hated him for that. But looking back, I can see that it was all designed to truly guide me down the path I now walk. The immeasurable lessons I learned from this man, both within academia and outside of it, have helped me to hold true to myself for the past decade.
Which brings me back to why I had originally wanted to be a teacher. Good teachers truly impact lives. And I don’t think that was anywhere more obvious than it was to me last night. Those 130 alumni, plus the many more who wanted to be there and couldn’t were all there for the same reason I was. To honor a man who had taught us all so much about who we are and what we can do.
I only hope that when my day comes, that I can honestly say I’ve touched as many lives and helped to shape as many futures.

Congrats on a wonderful career Maestro. And enjoy your retirement!