Life as I know it

Way back in the day I had a Xanga page. I still have a myspace page. But you will notice I seldom update that page. I think starting this one will be a little bit more accessible. This way, I can keep my family and friends informed of my new life out here in Washington, MO.

Let me catch you up.

On May 8, 2008, I accepted a job with the Washington School District. I graduated from SEMO, and quickly got my life started in Washington. The town is wonderful. I fell in love with it immediately. I found a great apartment right in the heart of the city, for a great rate. From that apartment I am writing this blog.

The school year went by quickly, but here are the highlights:

In October, I directed my first concert. Actually, it was four concerts. I took the high school orchestra on tour to four of the elementary schools. It was wonderful. The students played great, had a good time, and really started creating a bond with each other.

Early December brought on All-State Auditions. I personally worked with about 5 students to prepare for the audition. While only one made it in, all five got experience auditioning, and a great time was had by all.

The day after that audition, we had our Winter Concert. The place was PACKED. The kids played beautifully...I was so proud! Add to that my parents being there and my professor being there...I was on cloud 9.

As soon as that concert was over, we prepared for contest and Chicago!

Contest has a way of sneaking up on you. Like, REALLY fast. The kids worked really hard...Mary Beth and I really pushed them. There were some definite panicked moments, and of course a few instrument repairs the DAY OF, but we did it...we got straight 2's. I couldn't have asked for a better performance from them.

The day after contest, we left Washington to perform in Chicago for the Festival of the Gold. It was a four day trip with the choir, but it was a spectacular bonding experience for the orchestra in particular. I noticed friendships growing stronger and stronger. One of the highlights of this trip was meeting Kirt Mosier and his orchestra. The cool part about this for us is that one of our pieces for this performance was his composition. He and his orchestra sat in the audience for it...and I've been told he had quite the smile on his face. It was exciting for me AND the students. We received a B+ average on this concert...excellent work!

Work began immediately for our Spring String Fling...the spring concert that involves ALL the Washington School District orchestras. I had an amazing senior class this year...they were helpful to me (no joke...they taught me SO much) and to their classmates. I really wanted them to have a killer final concert. I wanted it to be a good memory for them leaving high school. It worked. They played their hearts out. There were tears, there were smiles. It was a wonderful experience, and it helped me to realize that I did it. I made it throught a year, and the orchestra really believed in me.

After a couple of farewell parties, I made it through the year. And that's just in school.

Some other highlights since I've moved here:

In January, 2009, I joined St. Louis Harmony chorus...a women's barbershop chorus based in Kirkwood, MO. It is SO much fun, and really fulfills me. Oh, and did I mention we're the Region 5 Champions? Yeah, that's pretty big. We're off to Seattle in 2010 for Internationals!

Also in January, I was reunited with an old friend. He and I started dating after 10 years of knowing each other. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and he came into my life at the perfect time, showing me that true happiness is achievable. I know that this one is for real.

That's the long and short of my year...I'll keep you updated!