Rehearsal

I was recently invited by my former co-worker to return to the high school that I used to teach as a band director.  She asked me to conduct weekly master classes with the clarinet players in her band.  Today was my first day, and I really had a good time.

I was nostalgic as I stepped into the band hall that is so familiar to me.  It was there that I first learned to play my clarinet as a middle school student.  It was there that I had my first job interview straight out of college.  It was there that I taught so many lessons and ran so many rehearsals through my band directing years.  The same sights and smells overwhelmed me as I walked through the door.  Chairs and stands, forgotten sheet music, broken pencils, percussion equipment, tiny lockers, inspirational posters.  For a moment, I was transported back in time.

The same familiar face greeted me when I entered the band hall office that used to greet me as a 12-yr-old student.  Some things just never change.  The students that I worked with today were very sweet, respectful, and thrilled with the opportunity to have more individual attention.  Also, on a side note, this is the first time… EVER… that I have walked into a clarinet rehearsal and found every single student with a working reed.  Usually, I spend half my time helping the kids find a reed that isn’t cracked, is less than three months old, and doesn’t have a science experiment growing on the back.  These are the kind of kids that make teaching fun! 

I hadn’t planned on bringing Grace with me, but my plans fell through to leave her with a sitter.  I loaded up a huge bag with books, crayons, dolls, snacks, and a blanket.  To my huge relief, she amused herself and was mostly invisible with the exception of a few requests for snacks, etc.  The kids thought she was really cute and asked me to bring her back next week.

I’m looking forward to my next class in a few days.