I am a bit frustrated. For the first time ever, a pastor has sent me the entire fall lineup of Scripture/sermon topics and focus. I should be setting aside time to prayerfully and thoughtfully select musical repertoire and approaches that will work well with the excellent plan in my hand.
But every time I schedule time to select the music, something comes up to prevent me from being able to focus on the topic or even put my hand to it. Finally, today, after weeks of no progress, I set aside a day to immerse myself in the repertoire. If I had my druthers, I would spend most of my time planning and organizing worship, rehearsing, learning, seeing how things fit together, finding a flow that affords people the opportunity to enter into the presence of God.
Today I find it difficult to match a preexisting set of anthems with the liturgical themes for this year. I find anthems with the right text, but the music is too ugly or too out-of-range for my singers or requires a larger ensemble than I have. Or it has a solo instrument we do not have easy access to. Or is so outdated in style as to be unacceptable to today's listeners.
I follow clues and read through multiple songs and track down memories of past performances. Each piece that I settle on feels like a major accomplishment. I get stuck here and there on a particular Sunday where nothing seems to fit. I dig down deep inside myself and listen to what music from my own past brings me to the sermon topic. Sometimes I light on a piece I have conducted elsewhere that would be perfect. I end up ordering 2 new octavos for this choir that I know they will enjoy and that will work well not just this year but in years to come.
Won't it be grand in heaven when the music just flows with no need for selection and rehearsing and imperfections and considerations of when the tenor is away!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
One Week Down
I can't believe we are already at the end of the first week of the fall semester! Time has flown by. I love when students are back on campus. It has been a productive start despite being short handed and having many new people on board. I always tell our new people that in the academic world, it takes a good two years to really understand and be able to effectively improve work.
That comes as a surprise to new hires, but the academic year has many once-a-year activities. The first year you encounter something like Open House, for example, everything is new and a bit confusing. You aren't sure how to prepare, what to expect. You have no idea of the pacing or even the goal of the event.
The second year, you pay less attention to all the pieces because you know what to expect, having lived through it once. You are more aware of the broader issues, the big brush strokes. You have something with which to compare the success or failure of the event. By the third year, you remember what worked, what didn't, what you noted that could be improved, etc. and you are ready to make changes for reasons you understand. You have a sense of the impact of those choices and who will be affected by them. You can find ways to make the changes that will be less difficult for those involved to handle.
Too bad we don't get that same kind of opportunity for all of life's events. We expect people to make permanent decisions without understanding the consequences of their choices. For example, our students must declare a major without really knowing whether their personality and skill sets would be a good match for that kind of job. We expect people to know whether a marriage is a good idea before they have learned how to manage simpler relationships. We want people to make decisions about health care options without really knowing the implications of their choices.
Sure wish some of these activities could give us a trial run or a couple years exposure before we start jumping in there and making decisions! At least there is the small consolation of knowing that hindsight can be helpful for moving forward.
That comes as a surprise to new hires, but the academic year has many once-a-year activities. The first year you encounter something like Open House, for example, everything is new and a bit confusing. You aren't sure how to prepare, what to expect. You have no idea of the pacing or even the goal of the event.
The second year, you pay less attention to all the pieces because you know what to expect, having lived through it once. You are more aware of the broader issues, the big brush strokes. You have something with which to compare the success or failure of the event. By the third year, you remember what worked, what didn't, what you noted that could be improved, etc. and you are ready to make changes for reasons you understand. You have a sense of the impact of those choices and who will be affected by them. You can find ways to make the changes that will be less difficult for those involved to handle.
Too bad we don't get that same kind of opportunity for all of life's events. We expect people to make permanent decisions without understanding the consequences of their choices. For example, our students must declare a major without really knowing whether their personality and skill sets would be a good match for that kind of job. We expect people to know whether a marriage is a good idea before they have learned how to manage simpler relationships. We want people to make decisions about health care options without really knowing the implications of their choices.
Sure wish some of these activities could give us a trial run or a couple years exposure before we start jumping in there and making decisions! At least there is the small consolation of knowing that hindsight can be helpful for moving forward.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
First Class
I can hardly believe I have a request to teach library tools to a class this early in the semester! The first week people barely have their feet on the ground much less need to know how to find scholarly information for a research paper.
Besides we need to help our student workers get up to speed at the Circ Desk, ILL and Reserves and used to a new routine. All this with my Circulation Supervisor out on leave and a new Evening Supervisor just beginning to learn the ropes. But there you have it. All aspects of my position coming into play at the same time, a rare but possible situation.
I have created an interactive presentation for our new students, asking them to guess how many books we have, how much we spend on resources, whether academic information is available through a Google search, etc. They vote online via our Turning Point Technology and can see immediately what their classmates think. They smile and play along good naturedly, little realizing that when they come to their first research paper, this stuff will help. We have a relaxed conversation.
Meanwhile, in the background, I am aware that the new student at the desk this hour will be encountering things she is not comfortable doing yet. Even simply answering the phone is a huge obstacle when you are unsure of yourself. We wrote out the greeting for them, and at least they have a place to begin.
I watch the typical reaction. Panic when the phone rings and they realize we are expecting them to answer. Hesitation and query - what do I do? A glance at the written patter, then they pick up and repeat the words. Pause. Long silence. Hand over the receiver, and an anxious explanation of the question to the staff person standing next to them. At which point the staff person takes over. Sigh of relief.
Soon they will handle these calls as a matter of course. And they will learn the answers quickly. Its just getting over that first hill. Same with the class. They are "reading the patter" today, but when the real drill hits, I will see the panic and hear the questions. Once they have worked through it for themselves, they will be good to go.
I'd like to think I will eventually work myself out of a job, but I know there are more new people to come. There's nothing like the personal assist the first time or two. Then they are off, just like a kid learning to ride a 2 wheeler, excited to be taking the first steps to freedom.
Besides we need to help our student workers get up to speed at the Circ Desk, ILL and Reserves and used to a new routine. All this with my Circulation Supervisor out on leave and a new Evening Supervisor just beginning to learn the ropes. But there you have it. All aspects of my position coming into play at the same time, a rare but possible situation.
I have created an interactive presentation for our new students, asking them to guess how many books we have, how much we spend on resources, whether academic information is available through a Google search, etc. They vote online via our Turning Point Technology and can see immediately what their classmates think. They smile and play along good naturedly, little realizing that when they come to their first research paper, this stuff will help. We have a relaxed conversation.
Meanwhile, in the background, I am aware that the new student at the desk this hour will be encountering things she is not comfortable doing yet. Even simply answering the phone is a huge obstacle when you are unsure of yourself. We wrote out the greeting for them, and at least they have a place to begin.
I watch the typical reaction. Panic when the phone rings and they realize we are expecting them to answer. Hesitation and query - what do I do? A glance at the written patter, then they pick up and repeat the words. Pause. Long silence. Hand over the receiver, and an anxious explanation of the question to the staff person standing next to them. At which point the staff person takes over. Sigh of relief.
Soon they will handle these calls as a matter of course. And they will learn the answers quickly. Its just getting over that first hill. Same with the class. They are "reading the patter" today, but when the real drill hits, I will see the panic and hear the questions. Once they have worked through it for themselves, they will be good to go.
I'd like to think I will eventually work myself out of a job, but I know there are more new people to come. There's nothing like the personal assist the first time or two. Then they are off, just like a kid learning to ride a 2 wheeler, excited to be taking the first steps to freedom.
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