Back to school.... two years later!

Hello there! So I'm not even going to try to explain/excuse my two year blogging hiatus, and though I'm not making any promises this time, I do plan to blog regularly throughout this year. Despite the lack of blogging, it's been a great two years, both personally and professionally! Here are a few of the professional highlights:

• Started a beginning winds and strings elective in the Middle School! This Fall, I'll be offering both the beginning elective and a continuing elective that will include students who've started their instrument through private lessons.

• Completed two more student-created and directed Lower School Springfest performances, based on Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth (2015), and Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (2016)

• Integrated the fun and wonderfully designed, technology-rich Quaver's Marvelous World of Music curriculum into the Lower School music program. This year, I'll also be using Noteflight for my upper elementary and middle school students.

• Combined my Lower and Middle School rooms into a single teaching space that's my room all day (yay!)

• Replaced original set of classroom ukuleles with a much better model, leading to more ukulele playing, especially in the 3rd and 4th grade.

• Musically directed two amazing, large musicals in the Middle School: Seussical, Jr. (might be my favorite ever!) and Michael Sirotta's Alice in Wonderland.

• "Graduated" my first 8th-grade advisees who had been my advisees for four years and my students for eight years (proud and sad!)

• Continued conducting the Piedmont Youth and Family Orchestra, designed new website, and made plans for a 2016-17 year of renewal and growth (starting Sept. 11, 2016!)

• My first professionally published short story, "Bully," appeared in the January 2016 issue of Cricket Magazine. A lifelong dream come true! Hoping my novels are next...

Okay, enough tooting my own horn (which reminds me, in moving spaces I discovered the most amazing Marx-brothers style bicycle horn stuffed in a box, along with lots of other shiny stuff). School starts Tuesday, and music classes begin the day after Labor Day. Better go organize!

Piedmont Youth and Family Orchestra

Yesterday afternoon I led my first concert as conductor of the Piedmont Youth and Family Orchestra in Chapel Hill. The orchestra has been in transition this Fall, so I just led the older orchestra in three pieces. Starting at our next rehearsal, I'll be conducting both the younger and older groups.

One of my favorite things about PYFO is that it is truly a family experience. Parents playing with us range from adult beginners to pros, showing kids that it's never too late to have fun making music! I had a blast playing violin with the younger orchestra and the advanced chamber orchestra. It was the first time I'd played my violin in public in (mumble) 18 years! 

We are looking to GROW! We have a place for string players of nearly any level, as well as a few wind players. Email me or leave a comment if you're interested. Our next performance will be on December 10 at University Mall in Chapel Hill.