Today I informed my students that I have been granted a fellowship to the University of Oregon for the coming Fall. Many of you probably knew that this was brewing, but things have been confirmed and I will be pursuing PhD studies in music education this fall at the University of Oregon.
It was a bittersweet moment today when I told my kids. (I know it's not PC to call my students "my kids" but that's what they are to me, they are MY kids - so much more than mere students.) I love these kids to death. They are part of my family, part of me. My singers make me want to come to work each and everyday. Teaching is not an easy profession. For those of you who are not teachers, try it for just a week -- you'll understand. And granted, there are days that I don't like my job, but I love my job everyday. Why? Because I get to come to work and have fun with the most wonderful young minds in this state. At Buckhorn we may not have all the fanciness that money can buy, we may not have the greatest performance venues, but we have students who have tons of talent and even more heart. So, you can understand why I described today as "bittersweet". I know that going to UO is the right thing. It is a door the Lord has opened that I must walk through. Leaving my kids is going to be tough though. I've already shed many tears over it and I know more are to come. I decided to tell them this morning because the rumor mill had already started and I didn't want them to hear it through the grapevine at the concert tonight.
After dropping this bombshell on them, we had a concert (with about 8 hours in between) tonight. My heart swelled with pride as my kids sang "Remember", a setting of a Christina Rossetti poem by the composer Stephen Chapman. The sounds that sang forth from them were absolutely amazing. It was the best blend and musicality this group of 16 had ever sung with. I had to fight back tears brought on by the beauty of their sound. The rest of the choir joined the singers on stage and we sang an a cappella arrangement of "Stand by Me" as a preview of our "Pops" concert (on May 13).
The first half of the concert was performed by the Huntsville Master Chorale. The HMC then joined BHS for the last half of the concert. The entire ensemble did a wonderful job and it was joy to direct and sing with them.
My singers rose to the occasion today under tons of pressure. Their focus, determination, and hard work were amazing on stage! I'm so proud of them!
