Victorious!
A new school year has begun. Funny that that should be the time I finally sit down to blog again, when I feel like I have no time to breathe amidst the rush of things that have to be done now. Especially considering I spent my entire summer reading Harry Potter in German, watching Dr. Who, and staying up too late with John every night.
It's been a victorious day for me. In my two freshmen classes, my boys are tripled by the number of girls in their sections. They also can't sing (yet). The first day of school, one boy asked, "Wait...we have to sing in this class? Everyone? Even the boys?!" They were aghast.
Freshman year is a rough time for boys. Their instruments are so wonky, poor things. All those changes...or worse, none of the changes just yet. I do have one boy alto still. He bears it well. Individually, they can all match pitch pretty well. Stick four of them together, and something goes terribly wrong. Instead of a surprisingly developed bass sound that they can create alone, this gravelly mush of non-notes comes out. Call them up and have them match around the piano, and it's once again a nice, musical sound. We'll have to work on that.
Anyway, I had two Freshmen Boy Victories today.
FBV#1: A parent came up to me today and said her freshman son came home yesterday and told her that music was his favorite subject, even though he (and his mother) thinks he can't sing.
FBV#2: It's quiz day in my class today, and one of the boys had his hand in the air before he even sat down in his desk after the bell. "Miss Cardy! Miss Cardy! Are we going to have time to sing after our quiz today?" After I answered in the affirmative, he said "Yes!" with a victorious fist-pump, echoed by the two boys around him.
Slowly but surely, I will win these freshmen over to love singing.
Other happy choir moments:
As I was demonstrating the opening of a song and stopped at the end of a section, one girl called out, "No, keep singing! You just sing it so well!"
A girl who I thought disdained both my class and singing just signed up for an extra-curricular choir.
A couple girls are still joining my Women's Choir, even though it means they will be late to volleyball and have to run extra laps every day. That's dedication!
I have almost 50 girls signed up for Women's Choir, and at least 40 of them actually showed up for the first rehearsal.
Students left my class singing today, and I've heard bits of song floating through the hallways.
It's been a victorious day for me. In my two freshmen classes, my boys are tripled by the number of girls in their sections. They also can't sing (yet). The first day of school, one boy asked, "Wait...we have to sing in this class? Everyone? Even the boys?!" They were aghast.
Freshman year is a rough time for boys. Their instruments are so wonky, poor things. All those changes...or worse, none of the changes just yet. I do have one boy alto still. He bears it well. Individually, they can all match pitch pretty well. Stick four of them together, and something goes terribly wrong. Instead of a surprisingly developed bass sound that they can create alone, this gravelly mush of non-notes comes out. Call them up and have them match around the piano, and it's once again a nice, musical sound. We'll have to work on that.
Anyway, I had two Freshmen Boy Victories today.
FBV#1: A parent came up to me today and said her freshman son came home yesterday and told her that music was his favorite subject, even though he (and his mother) thinks he can't sing.
FBV#2: It's quiz day in my class today, and one of the boys had his hand in the air before he even sat down in his desk after the bell. "Miss Cardy! Miss Cardy! Are we going to have time to sing after our quiz today?" After I answered in the affirmative, he said "Yes!" with a victorious fist-pump, echoed by the two boys around him.
Slowly but surely, I will win these freshmen over to love singing.
Other happy choir moments:
As I was demonstrating the opening of a song and stopped at the end of a section, one girl called out, "No, keep singing! You just sing it so well!"
A girl who I thought disdained both my class and singing just signed up for an extra-curricular choir.
A couple girls are still joining my Women's Choir, even though it means they will be late to volleyball and have to run extra laps every day. That's dedication!
I have almost 50 girls signed up for Women's Choir, and at least 40 of them actually showed up for the first rehearsal.
Students left my class singing today, and I've heard bits of song floating through the hallways.
Ah! Your life is so glamorous! Teaching sounds so wonderful! (Though, I understand it isn't always sunshine and songbirds.)
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