December 19, 2004 at 5:04 PM

The more I teach, the more I love it! Yes, there are definetly little "perks" that sometimes get under your skin, but on a whole I'm enjoying it a whole lot more and I'm finding that I'm expanding on how to deal with problems that students are having. My oldest, and most advanced student is into shifting now and so my mind is being even more stretched to come up with more ways of explaining how to do it and how to practice it. A couple of my students, with it being the last before Christmas holiday's, brought me presents, which I honestly wasn't expecting, with it being only my second week teaching this particular bunch of kids. I was really touched that they did that and by the enthusiasm they showed in being at their lessons and getting to play for me and their want to learn and practice. A couple of my other students gave me hugs at the ends of their lessons and said they'd miss me over the holidays. When a student shows their appreciation that way it's really a very touching thing!

I had some other really flattering and touching things happen this week.

My week was jam packed full, over Tuesday and Wednesday I had to make up a mini English AP test (a handwritten essay in class and a multiple choice essay component). It was nice to get the hand written essay out of the way on Tuesday and only have the multiple choice part left for the next day. On Tuesday evening I was going out of town to another city to play for and dine with the Canadian Federation of University Women. No, I'm not a member, but this particular branch has sponsored me to help pursue my musical interests. In order to receive such a thing I took an audition for the mentorship program for the regional professional orchestra and was recommended by certain persons within the orchestra who felt I deserved this scholarship. Much to my suprise and delight I was selected back in the fall to receive it. I went to perform for the CFUW and meet many of it's members so they could ask me questions and they could find out what I was planning on doing in the future with music and what all else. It was great getting to meet everyone and prior to the dinner part of the evening a letter was read from the symphony board to the group of women in attendance about who they had chosen (me!) to receive this scholarship. The letter was highly flattering and I can't have been more red and happy and at the same time. It was just an incrediably flattering and humbling moment, to have educated people actually say that about me, it gives me a feeling that, yes, I do have potential and if I continue to work hard I will be able to pursue my dreams and goals.
Later on in the evening, after I had played, I was presented with a bouqet and was asked to say a little something, so I really hope that I was able to share just how thankful I am for such an honor and opportunity.

On Wednesday my week continued on in it's busy fashion. In the morning I went in early, before school to finish my AP "mini" test (for the actual exam there are 3 in class written essays with no previous preparation and 3 multiple choice essays). After my school thing was out of the way in the morning I went to my Grandparents place to pick up my stuff and get a bite to eat then headed over to the music school to practice for awhile and get some stuff organised for my students arriving in the afternoon. After a good hour of practicing I went back to my Grandparents to meet up with my violin teacher. We had a good time together and I really appreciate every minute we've spent together over the months. With traveling together when on symphony tours, the hours spent together in the car, on the road, we've gotten to know each other on a much more personal level so she's so much more then what was an already great friend and teacher, and it's something I really appreciate being able to have with her.

After we were done together, I had to teach, which was a bit of a long afternoon with a sore throat, but a good one! I enjoyed it a lot and had a great deal of fun teaching the students, now that I was more familiar with them.

After teaching I had a piano lesson. A real piano lesson! I hadn't played piano at my lesson since October when I started preparing for my music history exam, when we needed to focus our time on learning the stuff for that dreaded examination. But I got to play the piano for my WHOLE lesson! It was such a refreshing change. We worked on the second movement, Andante from the Pastorale Sonata and Grieg's Wedding Day At Troldhaugen, as well as a couple easy duets that I'll be performing in February and she had me try for a brief moment to improvise, which is something I've never really done much of before, and never in front of people. It was just so refreshing to sit down at the piano and play though. I hadn't done that in months, sit down and just play. Isn't it amazing how much more you appreciate little things like that if you've not been able to or had the time to do things like that for so long?

To end the week off was a quick trip to Vancouver and long drive home all night Friday night. (arrival time at home, just after 6 am) It was a long week, but it was a really good one with so many positives and things that I'll just keep beaming through the holidays and well into the new year.

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December 19, 2004 at 5:04 PM

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