So I desperately needed a haircut, and after going to the mall last time, I decided it was time to find a decent barber in town. I went to two local shops and despite the fact that their signs said they were open until 3 pm (it was about 1:30) BOTH were closed. I guess trading hours don't mean much in Keizer barbershops. So the third place I went to looked super sketchy. The shop was decorated with all sorts of Americana from another era, there was free water and beer (neither of which I accepted), and the barber's mother came to visit at one point. The barber was a great guy, but not such a great barber. The search continues.
Anyway,
I went to a dive bar last night to see a couple of local bands play. A woman sat next to me, and through brief conversation I found out she grew up in Brentwood. Then, the singer of the second band announced that he was from Jersey. A small world indeed.
The bands were decent, but the crowd was lame. Mostly old Irish guys celebrating the holiday who had no idea bands were playing. But there were definitely enough characters to keep the night interesting.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Spring Concert
I had my first ever Orchestra concert tonight as host and conductor. I didn't know anyone in the audience. For the first time, I'm painfully aware of how alone I am out here.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Standard Update
Hey, it's been a while.
The production of West Side Story went smoothly. Ultimately, the choir director conducted the performances, and I think that was the best route for everyone involved. I was able to learn much of the score in a short time, and rehearsed the pit to the best of my ability, but there were still a lot of nuances and details that I wasn't fully in control of (it IS freakin' West Side Story, after all). I enjoyed being a part of the experience and I'm looking forward to doing it again one day when I have ample time to prepare.
With the musical ending, I've been able to focus more on the other aspects of my job, and while some parts have been good, others have been seriously overwhelming. There's so much that goes into being a high school orchestra director and teaching at three schools to begin with, and to come in mid-year in a new district in a new state the way I did puts me at a huge disadvantage. There's a lot that goes on that is new and unusual to me. I feel like I've been using my support systems to the best of my ability, but at times it can difficult to know of whom to ask which question. But I'm keeping afloat...for now, enough complaining.
I was observed by my supervisor and principal; both had good things to say. I'm settled into my home here and I'm becoming more and more familiar with the area. I've had opportunities to get out and hike and I recently used meetup.com to, well, meet up with some peeps in Portland to play Ultimate Frisbee. I do feel lonely at times, but not in a depressed way, just that I could use more company. I'm working on reaching out to friends I've made and making an effort to make new ones.
It's amazing how fast the time is going. Four months ago I accepted the job. In four more months I'll be back in New York.
The production of West Side Story went smoothly. Ultimately, the choir director conducted the performances, and I think that was the best route for everyone involved. I was able to learn much of the score in a short time, and rehearsed the pit to the best of my ability, but there were still a lot of nuances and details that I wasn't fully in control of (it IS freakin' West Side Story, after all). I enjoyed being a part of the experience and I'm looking forward to doing it again one day when I have ample time to prepare.
With the musical ending, I've been able to focus more on the other aspects of my job, and while some parts have been good, others have been seriously overwhelming. There's so much that goes into being a high school orchestra director and teaching at three schools to begin with, and to come in mid-year in a new district in a new state the way I did puts me at a huge disadvantage. There's a lot that goes on that is new and unusual to me. I feel like I've been using my support systems to the best of my ability, but at times it can difficult to know of whom to ask which question. But I'm keeping afloat...for now, enough complaining.
I was observed by my supervisor and principal; both had good things to say. I'm settled into my home here and I'm becoming more and more familiar with the area. I've had opportunities to get out and hike and I recently used meetup.com to, well, meet up with some peeps in Portland to play Ultimate Frisbee. I do feel lonely at times, but not in a depressed way, just that I could use more company. I'm working on reaching out to friends I've made and making an effort to make new ones.
It's amazing how fast the time is going. Four months ago I accepted the job. In four more months I'll be back in New York.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Post Script
ALSO I forgot to mention I've met some really great people out here, thanks to Sarah Khan. She introduced me to her friends from Portland and I was able to participate in the filming of their video as well as be a part of a really intense card game. Then, on Sunday we went hiking at Angel's Rest on the Oregon/Washington border, and it looked something like this:
Afterwards I went to my first Portland microbrewery, where I had Eight Malty Nights, by far the maltiest beer I have ever had. 'Twas delicious. Although it may have replaced some of the calories I burned on the hike.
Anyway it's nice to know some good people out here.
A Short Rest
Today is my only day off out of a three day weekend. The production of West Side Story at the high school has been time consuming, to say the least. On weekdays I'm leaving the house at 7:30 am and returning after 6 pm. Yesterday was a six hour rehearsal, and tomorrow's is expected to last as long.
I don't necessarily mind the time commitment, but being at school all day and part of the night is keeping me from fully moving into my apartment and from properly preparing for my classes. I think everyone involved at the district understanding the position I've been put in by coming in at this stressful time, but I'm still concerned with doing a good job and making a strong impression. Also I have impossibly high standards for myself.
Now for some good news!
The apartment is fantastic and my bed is probably the most comfortable bed I've ever had. I received my couch, dresser, and night table yesterday, and I'll (hopefully) be getting my dining set some time today. My car arrives from New York tomorrow with more of my stuff in it. And I've still found the time to cook most days, some highlights include a tomato, mushroom, and onion omelette this morning and rigatoni with sauce and sausage, garlic, and Romano cheese.
Things really are great here so far, just intense because of the time of year I came out. But hopefully by February things will settle down a bit.
I don't necessarily mind the time commitment, but being at school all day and part of the night is keeping me from fully moving into my apartment and from properly preparing for my classes. I think everyone involved at the district understanding the position I've been put in by coming in at this stressful time, but I'm still concerned with doing a good job and making a strong impression. Also I have impossibly high standards for myself.
Now for some good news!
The apartment is fantastic and my bed is probably the most comfortable bed I've ever had. I received my couch, dresser, and night table yesterday, and I'll (hopefully) be getting my dining set some time today. My car arrives from New York tomorrow with more of my stuff in it. And I've still found the time to cook most days, some highlights include a tomato, mushroom, and onion omelette this morning and rigatoni with sauce and sausage, garlic, and Romano cheese.
Things really are great here so far, just intense because of the time of year I came out. But hopefully by February things will settle down a bit.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Clearer Skies
I have an apartment! It's a one bedroom, is a five minute drive to work, and super affordable. My address is
609 Rose Park Lane NE
Keizer, Oregon 97303
Send good tidings and cookies my way.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to move in until Friday or so. So I'm continuing to stay in a nearby hotel for the first few days of work. Not so great.
In the meantime, I'm finally able to focus a little more attention on the job I'm doing at school. I'll be teaching high school orchestra, elementary string lessons, and team teaching middle school orchestra. I'm also taking over the pit orchestra for the HS musical. I'm definitely going to need to put in time outside of school to step up my game a bit. It's been almost four years since I finished student teaching, the last time I had any real time in front of an orchestra. But I couldn't be happier about having my own groups.
I've gotten to see a little bit of Portland, but the past week has been so focused on getting stuff together that I haven't had a whole lot of time to grok Oregon yet. That will come with time. Also, I'm looking forward to getting hiking/biking gear to explore the Coast and Eastern Oregon, where all the good mountains are. Despite all the rain, the temperatures have stayed at least in the 40s, so I'm thinking I'll be able to hike and bike through the winter months. Also, as soon as I finish this post I will begin searching for the best gym in the area.
A big challenge for me is to be able to reach out to other teachers/staff members and ask for help. Everyone has been really kind and generous in offering their help, but I tend to want to be self sufficient. So that usually causes problems and stress because 1. I have no idea where anything is here and 2. It takes longer me to figure out the best way to do things on my own. So one of my goals over the next six months or so is to learn how to use my support systems.
Enough rambling, the real fun begins Tuesday.
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Stormy Weather
Things are taking longer to develop than I thought. After four full days of working on finding an apartment, a car, and acquiring basic home necessities, I've made a lot of progress but still don't have a vehicle or a place to live.
In addition, it seems like I'm going to take the reins of my classes from the get go. I'm excited to start the job, but I'm concerned about how effective I'll be as a teacher while I'm still trying to settle in and navigate the three (!) schools I'll be teaching at. I'm learning that there are a lot of things about music programs in Oregon that are unique, and so I'm expecting to feel like a fish out of water for a while.
It sounds like I'm complaining but I'm really glad to be out here and to have the opportunity to develop my own strings program. I like the town I'll be working and living in and there's a lot to like about Oregon.
In addition, it seems like I'm going to take the reins of my classes from the get go. I'm excited to start the job, but I'm concerned about how effective I'll be as a teacher while I'm still trying to settle in and navigate the three (!) schools I'll be teaching at. I'm learning that there are a lot of things about music programs in Oregon that are unique, and so I'm expecting to feel like a fish out of water for a while.
It sounds like I'm complaining but I'm really glad to be out here and to have the opportunity to develop my own strings program. I like the town I'll be working and living in and there's a lot to like about Oregon.
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