String Academy Halloween Concerts

Great music, amazing costumes, and a lot of enthusiastic musicians in-training.

One of my violin students

Dr. Brenner leading the troupes

wee cellists



Having a good time

Dr. Brenner and her girls

Cassie (peasant girl) and I (faerie from the wrong side of the tracks:-)

Dr. Cara Elise, Doctor of CELLOATRICS

(nerds, I know)

Helen, Cara, and myself leading the beginners in the premiere of Lauren Bernofsky's House of Untold Horrors

This particular day I was a faerie from the right side of the tracks

Sooo....

Frans Helmerson Concert in Auer Hall
(amazing!)

It's been awhile, abt a month and some change which isn't rare for me but still I've definitely had things to comments abt just no time (don't really have time now but whatever). First, today I had my last field experience teaching with the kids over at Batchelor Middle school, it went extremely better than I thought it would (I would like to add that the kids at Batchelor are really great I just had a nightmare last nite where they completely took over the class and held me hostage...seriously) and I'm actually going to miss them and their wonderful teacher Hillery Needham.

There's definitely no shortage of field experiences here, I've been helper teaching violinists (group and singletons) cellists, and the classic heterogeneous settings. Not to mention the string ped. group classes (I just started attending Larry Hurst's bass ped. class and it was really eye opening) mostly all influenced by Mimi Zweig. The grounds here are definitely fertile, and I almost want to experience it all, but growth takes time and patience and I really have to remember that. When you want to go fast go slow, when you want to go slow go FAST!


My performance experiences, which I thought would dissipate a bit haven't. I'm still working on some pretty intense pieces (I'm almost finished with Haydn D, and it doesn't scare me anymore), and I feel so secure with my technique which makes me feel secure tackling some of the other issues that rise up within the music. Helga Winold is so encouraging and the lady really knows her stuff, sometimes I'm just tempted to have my whole lesson on the right arm technique (which is much more clearer to me now, all the cellists here have beautiful right arm technique).


There is a dark side I guess, I don't really think of it as one but there is a tendency to work oneself to a pulp and not realize it. I'm taking a class dealing with the foundations of music education (Estelle Jorgensen), great class but there's constant reading (one book a week) and paper writing. After a certain point you realize that there isn't enough time in the day, real usable time and then the weekends start to disappear, meals become a sap of time, and socializing (that is not related to a class) becomes few and far between. But when will you ever have this type of immersion again in your life, right?

Yes I miss my family, I miss my significant other, friends, food, time...but I'm still so very happy that I chose to come here and be a part of this school. I wouldn't trade it for all the bad days (yes they still happen), which I only consider days that I needed more focus or attention on a particular area. Its a way to go back to the drawing board and fix what is broken.

My nightmare earlier was a warning to myself to stay attentive, keep things moving, and to try NOT to control the kids but to make them feel as though they made a choice to participate in my lesson. yeah, learning is cool.


IU (esp. the school of music) has this reputation as being extremely cut-throat I've only experienced students and teachers that are dedicated to upholding the standards of the art. Its very humbling to be here, surrounded by such greatness but after awhile you fit in and begin to imagine greatness of your own.

Sara, Cassie, me (and Bea) in the AI office

Cassie, me, Rob at Holiday World
(thought we were going to die on this roller coaster...I was hoarse for days)


Alternate Personality Day
(I'm supposed to be preppy, very difficult for me)