9/8

In choir, I regularly experience this feeling of "oh no, I have so much I want to tell these students about how to sing, how will I ever express it all?"  I'm not disappointed that I have a good knowledge of vocal production, but I'm learning that there will likely be a career-long frustration about not being able to pass on everything that I want to.  Hearing some students sing individually reminds me of the balance that I'll have to find between expectations and reality.

I had a great time in theory playing Ives for the class and seeing their reactions.  It's a piece for two pianos, one of which is tuned a quarter-step high.

Three Quarter-Tone Pieces: II Allegro (Charles Ives) - Cheryl Seltzer and Joel Sachs (iTunes)

Every GM section was consistently chatty, and though Mrs. D blamed it on some testing they had just completed, I'm thinking that I need to define some sort of ritualistic method of gathering attention.  I tried various things with the sections today, but I just really want to avoid any of the juvenile hand-clapping or arm-raising techniques.

I have a confession to make.  I've fallen victim to favoritism.  There's a girl in the 3rd section of GM who is also in Mrs. D's "club" (I haven't explained that yet; at the end of certain days, students go to clubs that do activities.  Mrs. D's club is for crossword puzzles) who is now my favorite student.  During club, we were convinced to play some pop radio station and Lady GaGa was playing at one point.  During that song, I thought I would be funny and turned around (from grading) to say "Who is this?"  When I did so, this girl, who was the only one to hear me, turned around and shrugged her shoulders, genuinely having no idea who was singing.  I was so proud.