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Showing posts with label voice lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label voice lessons. Show all posts

Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Boise Weekend.

Just got back from a fun weekend in Boise. I got to visit friends who have graduated and/or moved on from the college life. I made new friends. I tried new things. I even got a visit to the gym in. I didn't track calories. But I know I did okay.

Ashley, the one who invited me to stay with her, paid for my bus ticket to and from in exchange for voice lessons. It was such a great experience to teach her. She was responsive and bodily aware. It was definitely more rewarding than the high school student I taught last semester. Her accompanist, Esteban, was so wonderful. He's a classical guitarist. They were working on Bachianas Brasileras. It was the most healthy and helpful collaboration I've ever witnessed. Esteban was happy to hear what I was doing with Ashley and commented on a lot of the things that were working. I found out after the lessons that Esteban has his doctorate from Indiana University (prestigious music program). I love that I had no idea. He chose to just be a musician instead of a doctor of music. He was without pretension. It's possible! It gives me faith that I can escape this program and hopefully find a collaboration of my own that's just as rewarding.

We went to a couple bars. We danced. MAN did we dance (cardio)! My hips are still tight. She threw a house party in my honor. A few of the other Boise friends came out of the woodwork in addition to strangers that she ran into that day and her own collection of people she wanted to share. It was a collection of free-minded, love everyone, hippies. There was a man named Og sporting dreds, one enormous gauged ear, who hugged me and greeted me as "sister." There was also a lot of talk about Burning Man and Rainbow Family Gatherings. A man named Calvin - as in calvin and hobbes, and yes he some times has an imaginary friend. Joe, Jason, Jack, James... I would tell you more if I could remember which one was which. heh.

Ashley, Me, Lindz 
My Aunt LD had me over for an art party. We play with new techniques and toys whenever I go there. We throw around different visual ideas for journaling or expression in general. I'm meaning to put together a positive affirmation page or visual goals... I need to buy a couple health magazines. I have plenty of weight loss pages. But not many envisioning a thin healthy future.


Yet to be finished, painted this weekend


Favorite part though. Ashley works at an all vegetarian tea house. So lovely tea. Lovely veggie burgers. Thorough menu. Spicy kale chips. We (Ashley, Lindz and I) went on Ashley's day off and had lunch. We painted there. Lindz got out her loom and was weaving a scarf. It was a really laid back vibe. No one was going to get mad at us for using our water glasses to rinse paint brushes. :)

I weighed in yesterday when I got back and went to work out. I actually lost a pound! 332! So I consider the vacation a healthy release with a few minor indulgences. I'm excited that until Jan 2 I have no school or work so I can relax, paint, work out, research healthier food and work out options and COOK!

Off to the gym with Trent,
Nanette

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Turn the other cheek...

So I gave my student another lesson. Even though Monday's was supposed to be her last. I spent all day thinking "you think I'm a horrible teacher? I can SHOW you a horrible teacher." Of course, that's the least productive attitude and it would only sully my reputation with any of her peers that come a-seeking lessons. We tried again. We started from the ground up. We reviewed all the things we've learned so far and then we ran the piece for the student recital tomorrow. It looks like she might actually talk to her parents about continuing lessons with me next semester, as I can help teach her her choir parts, prep her for solo and musical auditions and remind her that good technique takes YEARS to develop and even then, one has to think about it.

The lesson today was so rewarding. If she thinks I'm a terrible teacher, at least I have taken something from our little experience. Be the bigger man and never teach a lesson that you wouldn't want to take. Here's hoping that our little performance tomorrow goes well.

Monday, December 5, 2011

tough day...

I taught my last lesson to my little voice student. She's been working hard. I've been working hard to keep up with piano. Today was especially frustrating since we've got a performance on Thursday. I REALLY struggle when it comes to the piano. But I am a damned good voice teacher. She filled out my evaluation today after struggling to put the piece together. I saw some of it. I wish I hadn't. I didn't see specific things but I really expected 5's (excellent) all across the board. We've been working so hard and accomplished so much. I didn't see all 5's. I saw a lot of 3's. Which makes me a little sad. I don't think she sees the value of what we've worked on or how far we've actually come. She's done some wonderful things. She's broken a LOT of bad choir habits. We've identified a lot of technical issues that take more than 6 lessons to iron out. But we've started. It's disappointing to have watched her advance and see that 3's are the main number she's putting in the evaluation.

But I'll try not to get disappointed. I KNOW I'm a good teacher. I can see that in the progress we've made. I have an hankering that she's not going to continue lessons with me. But I supposed that's one less thing to squeeze into my schedule next semester. It's just an ego blow. Trying to let go. Though it would be very interesting to see her interact with another teacher. I'm her first voice instructor, she is not my first voice student. She might have had a different preconception of what lessons ARE. Like it's my magical responsibility to make things perfect... when it's really about internal passion and want for musicality, I'm here to observe and offer an outside perspective and hopefully learning tools that she can take to a practice room.

This is me reasoning away my disappointment. Better reasoning than eating.

On the flip-side, my peer critique in English class went very well. I'm very close to gaining "insight" through my piece. I'm not one to blatantly say "moral of the story is..." I like to leave them digging. But I need to narrow my clues a little. It was a piece about finding a dead Indian man in the hot springs here. I'm pretty happy with it, but it needs a final edit. The class was generally pretty positive comments and constructive as well. I will hold on to the positive and constructive comments. 

Health thoughts are sitting on the backburner... simmering; water,calories, fat, scale, water, carbs, sugar, diet, fat, scale, -39, plateau.

I'm trying to change them to: healthier, looser clothing, minus, minus, minus, active, move, move, move, laugh, enjoy, cook, healthy, veggies, alternative choices, HDL cholesterol, water, water, water, move, move, move, PEE IT OUT!
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