Hits and Misses (Jan 18-25)

Here’s a look back at the week that was…..

HITS

• Even though it came at the end of the week, the successful Duo recital on Friday night tops the list this week. The audience was great and seemed to have enjoyed the program. There have been few musical experiences as rewarding as sharing the stage with my friend, Richard Fountain. Every time we sit down together, I learn something new and find myself constantly challenged in new ways as a musician. Such a thrilling experience!
• This week also meant that I started working with a couple of new piano students. I love the look of wonder in a child’s eyes when they begin making music for the very first time at the instrument that I adore. This semester, I am beginning to work with two new boys – grades 2 and 6. Very different experiences….but I think both are going to be very fun and rewarding!
• The Singing Men of Texas concert on Thursday evening was a ton of fun! Hosted by FBC Plainview, the West Texas group combined with the Panhandle chapter and the sound was huge! The night before the Duo recital, I was very thankful that I didn’t have to travel and that I only had to play half of the program. That was a welcome relief!
• This week I was also able to enjoy a couple of WBU Basketball games with friends. I don’t enjoy watching the sport on television. It’s boring. Put me in a gym or arena with people who I truly enjoy spending time with and I can get just as excited about the game as the next guy! I suppose it’s the energy of live performance that I thrive on combined with the social aspect of being with fun people.

MISSES

• I think we have the WORST cable provider in the world here in Plainview. Suddenlink has been anything but helpful in my recent problems with cable and internet. A visit to the store this week finally convinced someone that I needed a service call to install new equipment. I even agreed to upgrade to TiVo. Once the appointment was made, my phone rang off the hook with an automated attempt to resolve the problem. I ignored those calls because I wanted someone to physically fix my problem. When the service man arrived on Saturday morning, he informed me that the upgrade had not been ordered. All he could do would be to replace my equipment with the same item….the very same cable box that I have been told BY SUDDENLINK is giving people fits all over the country. Really? The service man proceeded to tell me how little customer service Suddenlink provided their customers. If your own employees don’t respect your product, that should be a sign that it is time to make some changes. I need to talk to the rental office here in the apartment complex to see what other options I have for cable and internet providers. This is getting ridiculous!
• As part of my personal goals for 2020, I am shifting my reading focus to the amount of time I spend reading each day rather than the number of books that I complete. The shift in focus has actually resulted in MORE books being read so far this year. However, this week’s novel — The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers — was a complete let down. I haven’t read a worse piece of fiction in a very long time! If you want a better scoop on this worthless novel, you can read the review on my other blog, Reading for Me.
• Saturday is normally a day to get things done around the apartment in preparation for the upcoming week. This Saturday saw nothing getting done because I was too worn out to even attempt anything. I spent most of the day in my brown reclining chair while attempting to keep my eyes open and my brain functioning a little bit. I know I had to look like a zombie! As I’m writing this post on Sunday evening, I’m still feeling quite tired, but I know that I have things to do in the days ahead. I’m really hoping that one more good night of rest will get me ready for a busy week ahead!

In the Dark

Jan 21 – How do you feel about the dark?

My relationship with the dark has been filled with turmoil. As a child, I despised being in the dark. Nighttime was a time of emotional torture because of my fear. Was there something lurking in the shadow wishing to bring me harm? Would I be overlooked and left behind if an emergency should happen? What else was there that I couldn’t see? I did not like the dark as a child. Honestly, I still don’t like it very much as an adult.

I think my issues with the dark are connected with the facts that I like to be in control and I don’t like surprises. If I can see something coming, I can prepare myself for it and navigate the trouble. I’m naturally a planner. When things come my way at the last minute or without warning, I get incredibly stressed out! I stress enough about the things that I have planned for…..so I really don’t like the last minute additions.

Now, if I’m in a dark theater with friends enjoying a show or concert….that’s entirely a different situation. Then the darkness brings with it expectation and excitement. Of course, there is an element of surprise here as well — but I’m prepared to be surprised in these situations. Actually….that’s why I’m there.

What I am feeling about the dark at the moment is that it is a time to get rest. I am not much of a night owl at all. I learned to function at night in college and grew to enjoy the fun that I could have late at night. But I also knew that I could not thrive on too many late nights in a row. I needed sleep. So now as the witching hour draws near (since I’m writing this post the night before it will appear on Livin’ Life) I’m feeling the call to sleep. My eyes are getting heavy….my belly is full….and I am ready to rest after a long day of rehearsal.

Hits and Misses (Jan 12-18)

Here’s a look back at the week that was…

HITS

• School is back in session. As much as I felt underprepared for a new semester, I was ready to get started. It was a good feeling to have students roaming the halls again and hearing the early strains of music making filling the air. It’s gonna be an awesome semester and there are truly great things ahead for us.
• In the midst of all of the craziness of week 1, I appreciated slipping away to enjoy dinner with family. No earth-shattering discussions. No major planning. Just talking and being together.
• Despite being insanely busy this week, I was still able to fit in regularly scheduled times of reading each day. I don’t guess I truly understood just how important to my emotional and mental health it is for me to slip away from the day’s activities and lose myself in a book for a bit. Most of the week was devoted to re-reading Read for Your Life as well as the novel Dear Evan Hansen. Here’s hoping that I can continue to fit some quiet moments in each day to spend in the pages of a book. I’ll definitely be a much happier person if I do.
• What kept me so busy this week? Registration for the Academy of Fine Arts happened early in the week, so that meant working with student teachers to get them paired up with private students and make sure lessons are getting scheduled. I am so happy that I get to be involved in this service to our community. The biggest event of the week, however, was final preparation for the 2nd annual WBU Piano Competition that was held on Saturday morning. The event was a huge success and I am thrilled with how everything turned out. 15 students competed and we were able to award $1,600 in prizes thanks to the generosity of the WBU Friends of Music. This event would have never happened without help from the incredible student staff that volunteered their time as well as my esteemed colleagues – Richard and Ann. Now I just need to make my final notes about Saturday’s event and put it away for a little while before starting work on the 2021 event.
• After the competition on Saturday, I took a mental health day that was greatly needed. I left Plainview for a few hours to let my mind wander, do a little reading, enjoy some food, and simply be in a new environment for a bit. Were there other things that I could have done? Certainly. There was work that still needed my attention. I just had to let it go for a while, knowing that it will still be there when I actually go back to the office.

MISSES

• There are days when it feels as though there is so much work to do and simply not enough hours in the day. I felt like the man from one of my favorite childhood television commercials: “Time to make the donuts! I’ve made the donuts.”
• Cold weather is for the birds! I don’t like it. I don’t have the clothes for it. And then school was cancelled on Friday morning because of the ice. I enjoyed sleeping in Friday morning, but was more than ready for the cold and precipitation to go away!

Place of Birth

Jan 18 – Where were you born? Have you been back there since?

I really don’t know how to make this post exciting. I have no idea where this one is going to go, but I have a topic to write on and I’m trying to post more regularly….so here we go.

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. My family lived in Marianna, Arkansas when Mom was pregnant with me. I was going to be a high-risk birth. I don’t know the specifics (I should probably learn more about that), but there were issues with the amount of oxygen I was receiving and the doctors knew I was going to be a “blue baby.” The small rural hospital could not handle my issues, so Mom was sent to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Around the same time, my Dad had just taken a job as water superintendent of the small community of Crawfordsville, Arkansas. My family joined him in Crawfordsville in June, just 4 months after my birth. We’ve lived in a couple of houses in the little town, but the Geriatric Ward is the only home that I remember.

My entire life was spent in eastern Arkansas. When I was a teenager, trips to Memphis with my parents and older sister were more frequent. Now my hometown began to feel more like metro-Memphis instead of just the tiny town of 500 people — complete with caution light and 6 streets.

After venturing away to Southern California for 7 amazing years that I will forever treasure, I returned back to my parents’ home for graduate school. This was when I really became familiar with the city of Memphis. I was driving its streets daily, finding the best routes around town, and seeking out its hidden gems and forgotten treasures.

I suppose Memphis is like any other town of your childhood. While I was living there and feeling “stuck” with no hope of escape, I thought the city was the armpit of America. I could not wait to get out. Now that I have moved away, I find myself longing for the conveniences, excitement, and comfort the city afforded me for many years. Memphis — and to an extent, Crawfordsville — will forever feel like home. And that is why I return there every summer as soon as I can. I want to be surrounded by the familiar and the places that I have grown to love.

Today at 10:00am

Jan 17 – What happened today at 10am?

Writing has been a challenge to get back into my life recently. I’m just happy to get a post written on this cold night. I write my posts the evening before their publication. Since tonight’s prompt asks about a specific moment in time, I will tell you about 10am on Thursday, January 16, 2020.

In a few short days — 8 of them to be exact — my colleague and I will perform a Piano Duo recital. Normally, I love working in this ensemble. It’s just fun to see what sounds can be created using two pianos. This repertoire was one of my earliest introductions to the piano in a chamber setting and I was hooked on the collaborative possibilities of the piano from the beginning.

Next Friday evening’s recital, however, is not one that I am looking forward to. The repertoire is not what I am typically drawn to. Frankly, I am underprepared and simply trying to survive. What’s on the program? It’s an Americana themed program. So we’re playing some dances from Rodeo, a few pieces by Barber, and the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. There are also some really cheesy hymn arrangements a la Dino that I really have grown to detest and a rousing take on The Stars and Stripes Forever. The audience will enjoy the program. I will enjoy it more next Friday evening at around 9:30 or so.

So what was I doing this morning at 10am? Richard and I finally had a moment in our schedules to practice together. The rehearsal was not bad at all. In many ways, it was a relief to see that some things we had each worked on over the break are going to be fine in a week. We didn’t tackle the Bernstein today….we needed the opportunity to just play together after a long break. That piece will probably be the bulk of our work tomorrow morning. After that rehearsal, I’ll shift gears and put the final touches on Saturday’s Piano Competition at WBU. The fun never stops…..and I really am having a ball! I’m just ready to put the American repertoire away for a while!

Hits and Misses (Jan 5-11)

Here’s a look back at the week that was…..

HITS

• The week began worshipping with my parents at FBC West Memphis. I didn’t expect to get to be in service with them on Sunday morning — more on that below in Misses — but I always enjoy getting to hear Pastor Josh Hall speak. He began a new series entitled “Epic” that is going to take the church through the books of Ephesians and Nehemiah. Using Ephesians 3:20-21 as an introduction to series, Josh explained these two verses by summarizing them in this sentence: “God is able to do an epic work in and through you for His glory.” I am so thankful that my parents found a good church home to settle in that was closer to the Geriatric Ward where they receive solid Biblical teaching on a weekly basis.
• On Monday morning, it was time to hit the road and drive back to Plainview. This time, I needed to make the trip in one day. I listened to some audio books while alone. I had a little company for the middle few hours of the drive. Conversation is never a bad thing….and it certainly made the drive much easier to do in 12 hours.
• As promised, my first stop once back in Plainview was a visit to the chiropractor. Immediately got some relief from my back pain. Now back to a routine of maintenance.
• Sighs of relief at the end of a long, stressful journey are always a welcome sound.
• As the week came to a close, I enjoyed getting to spend time with friends. There was laughter around the tables, witty comments in the halls, getting last-minute things done while sitting in the floor, and lots of joy. Even though I’m really tired at the moment, I’m looking forward to a good semester ahead.
• Opera camp was a thing this year for the first time since I’ve been at WBU. In preparation for our upcoming production of Mignon, everyone returned a few days early and plowed through the 3 acts of music. Some things are in fairly good shape. We also identified some things that still need more preparation — and in some cases, appear to need to be given a first look. I definitely learned that I need to build my stamina for this production. After 3 days of rehearsals, I was completely exhausted!

MISSES

• I delayed my return to Plainview because I had been scheduled to play for the Memphis auditions of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy on Sunday morning. I’ve worked with the people from AMDA a couple of times and have very good experiences. As Saturday night rolled around, I realized that I had not received any confirmation from AMDA since November, so I started doing a little digging. There was no mention of the auditions on their website. However, I knew I needed to be a professional and show up. So on Sunday morning, I crawled out of bed, got dressed, and drove to the Memphis hotel. The front desk knew nothing about auditions and the ballrooms were empty. On Monday morning, while driving home, I finally got the email from AMDA that the auditions had been postponed — and wanted to know if I would be available. I still haven’t replied to that email yet. I guess I’m being a little petty to let them have to deal with an inconvenience since they didn’t think enough of me to behave in a professional manner…..so I’m in no rush to do the same. Yeah….just a little bitter…..
• It’s becoming a recurring statement in my “Hits & Misses,” but it still isn’t easy to say goodbye to the Geriatric Ward. I truly wish Mom and Pop lived a little closer to me.
• With the looming beginning of another semester, I realized that I had so much to do this week and so little time to get it done. Somehow, I managed to get most things done that needed to happen before beginning classes on Monday. Now, I’m just trying to get a little ahead of the game so I don’t feel as though I’m desperately trying to keep my head above water all semester long.
• Cold weather moved into the Texas Panhandle at the end of the week. I am not a happy camper!

Book Recommendation

Jan 10 – What’s a good book that you’ve read recently?

This is a horrible question to ask me! I’ve constantly got my nose in a book when time will permit. To keep up with the status of my reading life and my reviews of most of the books I read, follow my blog Reading for Me. Let me see if I can come up with a couple of recommendations from books that I have read in the past couple of months.

First on my list would be My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. I first read this novel while in college and have returned to it several times since then. It is the story of a young Jewish boy who has tremendous talent as an artist. His sketches are appreciated by some of those who see them, but his teachers and father feel as though art is simply a distraction from the “important” work in his life. Asher Lev struggles with finding his place in the world, his family, and his community as an artist, a Jew, and a scholar. I think it is pretty clear that a connection can be made to the life of a musician as well. It’s a beautiful read and one of my favorite works in this genre.

My other recommended novel is Kristin Hannah’s True Colors. Set on a failing horse farm on the upper west coast, three sisters and their father struggle to maintain a close connection after the death of their mother. When a Native American comes through town looking for work, the decision to hire him causes further strife for the family. When a murder occurs in town, the new guy in town is accused and sentenced to prison. Now the sisters must decide if they should join forces to learn the truth about the heinous crime or simply go their separate ways. Like many of Hannah’s novels, this is a glorious depiction of family life in America that is simply beginning for a screenwriter, playwright, or opera librettist to set it for a wider audience.

Missed Youth

Jan 9 – What do you miss the most about being young(er)?

As I sit in my office at the end of a very long day that has been full of a lot of tiring work, what I am missing the most about being a younger person is the carefree lifestyle of youth. Right now, I would give anything if someone else was able to coordinate my schedule and prepare classes that are beginning next week. I miss never having to consider what meal I need to prepare and whether laundry can wait another day or not. Yep…..even though I’m just returning from an extended break from the office, I’m already ready for a little more carefree life for a bit.

Song in My Head

Jan 8 – What song or tune do you find yourself singing unconsciously?

There is almost always a song running through my head. Most of the time, it is something that I am working on that I am still trying to work out. That’s one of the reasons that I enjoy listening to talk radio or audio books when traveling…..or just listen to the silence! When I can get things to calm in my brain, I sometimes appreciate that the music stops. I guess it’s a problem that only other musicians can truly understand.

Still, there are always some songs that will start running through my mind when I’m just sitting around. They come without warning. Sometimes they are triggered by a memory; often, they just appear. They range in genres from art song to songs of the Church and stuff I’ve listened to on the radio. Probably because there has been so much music that I have encountered, the songs in my head change regularly. So let’s just provide a list of a few of the songs that have been in my head this week.

• Come Sail Away (Styx)
• Wie Melodien (Brahms)
• The Wheels on the Bus (I know!?!?)
• Route 66

Hits and Misses (Dec 29 – Jan 4, 2020)

Here’s a look back at the week that was…..

HITS

• I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the good folks at Bartlett Music Academy this week. It was wonderful to catch up with Melissa and her staff and share laughter. Lunch with my friend was welcome as we caught up and did a little brainstorming. Looking forward to assisting them with some exciting things in 2020.
• Last full week of Christmas Break meant I had some more time for reading. Haven’t finished the first book of 2020 yet, but I’m close. Enjoying a novel, biography and an audio book at the moment. Too bad reality returns next week.
• New Year’s Eve was a relaxing day around the Geriatric Ward. I rang in the New Year sitting at home watching an outstanding production of 42nd Street that was broadcast on the local PBS affiliate. I didn’t know the show at all and found it very entertaining. Loved all of the familiar songs and the incredible tap numbers!
• My siblings didn’t come to the Geriatric Ward on New Year’s Day. Patsy had been sick, so she and O’Neal decided it best not to risk exposing Mom and Dad. Carlene went to the office for the day. Since no one was going to be here, we began what I hope will be a new NYD tradition. Mom and I headed to the movies and took in Bombshell. The film was good and I think Mom saw that going to the movies is still a possibility with careful selection of the theater. See…it IS possible to go to the theater, not have to climb any stairs, and not have to sit on the front row. Hopefully she will express her desire to visit the movies a little more clearly and check out the offerings at Malco’s Ridgeway Cinema Grill. (See what I did there?)

MISSES

• At the end of the week, my back began to give me lots of trouble. I spent a couple of days just sitting on the couch without a thought of moving. Things started getting better just in time to get packed and load the car…..perfect activities to irritate my back again. I’ll definitely see Dr. Nate next week when I get back to Plainview!