Tempis fugit...

Here we are at the end of October! Time just whizzes by, that's for sure. Several news items to report. First, I've been doing a long term sub for the local high school music teacher. It has been great fun being able to do the band and orchestra there. There is also a music technology class that is pretty cool, involving software packages like Garage Band and Sibelius. The rest of the assignment involves teaching beginning instruments (flute, clarinet, trumpet, low brass, high strings and low strings) to 5th graders at the two local elementary schools. It has been exhausting, but a wonderful experience. This coming week will be the last for that assignment.

I'm into a new term of the teaching credential program at Brandman University (nee Chapman), and am taking two courses. This is very time consuming, so I suspect I will be working a bit less on the substitute circuit for the next 9 weeks.

In music news, the choir at the Lutheran church is no more due to financial considerations, so my tenure there has ended. It's a shame, but times are hard. I am confident they will pull through and restart the program when they can.
On the positive side, that frees up Christmas for me, so we will be able to visit Derek and Seren in Hong Kong over winter break!

The Camerata Singers are putting together a wonderful program for the winter concert, and we are really enjoying the experience.

Lastly, we went to visit uncle Trevor and Faina in Maui last week. It was wonderful to see them, and to enjoy the various activities and sights that the valley isle has to offer. It is always hard to come home after that!

September Doings

Hard to believe it is September already. Some things are cranking up - some are winding down. The new school year is going strong, and I even had a shot at a permanent position. A person with many years of experience got the job - I was just happy to have been allowed to interview. On the other hand, I will be doing a long term substitute job in music locally, so I am looking forward to that.

The Camerata Singers will be starting in about a week. In the meantime, one of the other local choruses, I Cantori di Carmel, will be performing my a cappella arrangement of "We Three Kings."

The choir at the Lutheran church had its first outing of the season on Sunday, which was received well. Unfortunately, the economy has hit this church very hard, and they can no longer afford to have a choir. We'll sing twice more, and that will be it. I have enjoyed it greatly, and will miss the wonderful fellowship that we had.

It was fun while it lasted!

The Carmel Bach Festival wrapped last night with the Best of the Fest, followed by two very nice parties. Hard to believe it is over already! We had a wonderful time renewing old friendships and making new ones. Genuinely nice people, all.

I am constantly reminded of what a small world this is. One of the new chorale singers has a middle name that is the same as the last night of a woman who was in Quad (an eating club) with me at Princeton. Turns out she is his aunt! He texted her with a snapshot of me, and she responded directly saying "of course I remember him!" It was a gratifying moment.

Another such moment happened this morning, when another one of the chorale members sang at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Paul graciously agreed to sing my Sanctus Romanesca with me. I made an arrangement for two bari Suchtones and organ from the original SATB a cappella version. It was received very well by all and sundry. Such a wonderful opportunity to perform with such an incredible musician. I'm still on cloud 9!

A Bounce

My PSA has gone up again, to about 1.8 (after a low in December 2007 of about 0.8). This seems to be a bounce. The doctors are telling me that this is unusual, and they are not sure what to make of it. If it goes over 2.0, they may want to do another biopsy. However, what I've read on the internet indicates that this is not uncommon. In any event, it is disconcerting.

Carmel Bach Festival!

It's that time of year again, and we are coming to the end of our first week of intensive rehearsals. The professional chorale members are terrific, as usual, and it is a joy to renew friendships with them and the instrumentalists. Each of the performers has a separate page, including the members (such as I) of the volunteer chorus. Here's mine!

He's a doctor!

Well, almost. Our son Derek's dissertation was just accepted by the powers that be at Princeton. Only thing left is the defense!

Congratulations!

Third time is the charm!

I have been trying to meet with a student to tutor him in reading this week. This is an assignment for the class in teaching reading I am taking for my teaching credential. The first two times he did not come as he was feeling poorly - I am hopeful that today it will finally happen!

Dear Chrysler...

Please be advised that I am not going to drive 30 miles each way to have my car serviced. Our next vehicle will have to be from another company.

Regretfully,

An ex-customer

Sum-sum-summertime, summertime, summertime!

I had the great fortune to be a long term sub at Elaine's school for the last 6 weeks of the school year. The course was Math 7, and I loved every minute of it. Middle schoolers are a *hoot*! So much, in fact, that I decided to take the plunge and am now enrolled in a teaching credential program. That is putting a crimp on our summer, but then, so is everything else.

We have had to travel to southern California three times in the last few weeks. The first time was to participate in the festivities around the receipt of the Distinguished Schools Award for Elaine's school at Disneyland. (Two days later we chaperoned the 8th graders at Great America - talk about theme park fatigue...)

Two weeks later I had business in Bakersfield, followed by our son's wedding in Santa Barbara. We took the opportunity to stay with some old friends in Fillmore in between, which was wonderful. Then last week we needed to meet with our accountant in Redlands, as it didn't seem as though there would be another chance to do so this summer, what with the Bach Festival starting in a week and lasting clear up until Elaine's new school year starts in August.

Tired!

Snow, snow, snow, snow, SNOW!

Ashland is a beautiful city in southern Oregon, and we participated in a friend's wedding there last week. Jewish weddings are really something else, and we were honored to be asked to hold the poles of the chuppah (awning) that covers the bride and groom during the ceremony.

The weekend was wonderful, and we were treated to weather than ran the gamut from bright, warm sun to heavy snow! Fortunately, it didn't stick, and we were able to get home over the Siskiyou Mountains the next morning.

But in California it's sunny and mild!

Words from the delightful "National Weather Forecast" by Henry Mollicone, which closed the Camerata Singers of Monterey County concert this past weekend, and on Sunday, it most certainly *was* sunny and mild! This concert was one of my favorites, with an amazing variety of musical textures considering it was a choral concert, and the audience was gratifyingly enthusiastic. Another triumph for our leader, John Koza.