Today is a preview day. Prospective students will be on campus to explore who we are and see if we offer what they are looking for in a college. We track visitor days so we can wear our designated cranberry colored Roberts logo shirts in order for visitors to know who works here and who they could ask questions of.
Except that I forgot. I have a reminder on my calendar that pops up on my phone. I always look ahead at the coming week on Fridays, and I saw it then. But I do not remember and I come to work in a black and rose sweater instead. Fortunately, I know this about myself, and I had learned to leave my shirt in my office for just such an occasion.
We now have 2 styles of shirt to choose from. One is a knit short sleeved polo style shirt, the other a long sleeved cotton dress shirt style. I realize my best bet is to layer the long sleeved dress shirt over my sweater so that I can stay warm even though it is less than flattering to my rotund figure.
Our building does not do well in single digit temperatures despite our LEED certification and geothermal wells. I suspect we are running afoul of the institution's moratorium on temperatures over 68, but some of our spaces barely register in the 50's.
So shirt or no shirt, I plan to stay as warm as I can in these tundric conditions. Visitors might as well know what they are getting into if they are not from Rochester. Better to know before you sign on the dotted line.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Resting Up
I didn't think I was still tired, but I must have been. I came home from church thinking that I would work on my dissertation, but after I had lunch, and realized that the boys were off doing stuff, I just sat in the chair a bit doing nothing. Not reading, not watching a movie, not playing with Sugar, not sleeping. Just sitting there.
My brain had no desire to jump into the throes of composer bios or song information or score research. I just wanted to sit. My mind did not engage in deep pithy thinking. My head was not absorbed in figuring anything out. I just sat still. It reminded me of the lazy summer evenings at Grams when the whole family just sat outdoors doing nothing in particular, not even conversing. Just sitting, enjoying life, being content.
We are so locked in to that concept of being productive, of the constant need to DO something. It is foreign, almost a sin, to be idle. We feel guilty about it. Except I didn't today. I enjoyed sitting and being alone and not doing anything. I took a break. It was nice. And quiet. Space to breathe. Permission to be at peace. To fully allow the rest to work in me the needed uplifting of soul.
True, after awhile, I lay down on my bed and snoozed, but I could not have done that until after I completed the resting part. And the sleep was sweet. I woke refreshed and ready for conversation with the boys when they got home. We had a good chat. Easy and full of camaraderie. Sometimes I remember that God did call us to observe Sabbath, to rest. He had his reasons. And they are all good.
My brain had no desire to jump into the throes of composer bios or song information or score research. I just wanted to sit. My mind did not engage in deep pithy thinking. My head was not absorbed in figuring anything out. I just sat still. It reminded me of the lazy summer evenings at Grams when the whole family just sat outdoors doing nothing in particular, not even conversing. Just sitting, enjoying life, being content.
We are so locked in to that concept of being productive, of the constant need to DO something. It is foreign, almost a sin, to be idle. We feel guilty about it. Except I didn't today. I enjoyed sitting and being alone and not doing anything. I took a break. It was nice. And quiet. Space to breathe. Permission to be at peace. To fully allow the rest to work in me the needed uplifting of soul.
True, after awhile, I lay down on my bed and snoozed, but I could not have done that until after I completed the resting part. And the sleep was sweet. I woke refreshed and ready for conversation with the boys when they got home. We had a good chat. Easy and full of camaraderie. Sometimes I remember that God did call us to observe Sabbath, to rest. He had his reasons. And they are all good.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Quartet Rehearsal
There are four pieces on my recital that are more challenging than I wish to ask my choir to sing, especially in light of the many pieces we are already singing. I decided to hire a quartet to sing them, people who read music and will not feel so overwhelmed by the tight harmonies and changing meters. These pieces are:
Notre Pere by Maurice Durufle
Sanctus by Charles Gounod
Pater Noster by Igor Stravinsky
Daemon Irrepit Callidus by Gygor Orban
Today the quartet came together for the first time, after the PrayerSong rehearsal and took a look at the music. Two musicians Lourdes recently met, one from Cuba who speaks no English, and one from Peru who speaks enough English to get by, are joining in. And I finally asked one of the basses in the choir to sing along since I was having no luck finding anyone willing to sing for the small amount of money I could offer.
How bizarre to discover that those who do not do English were familiar with the Latin and the French! Music IS a universal language. I had the honor of working with the Concordia students on the Stravinsky piece, and already had time to figure out better ways of introducing it to new singers to prevent some of the avoidable pitfalls.
I begin to realize that we are not all that far away from the recital date. I need to make sure we do some solid and beneficial work towards getting this music down pat. As for me, I know that what is in my head will eventually get communicated, so I am patient while I work around language barriers and find ways to make this work.
Notre Pere by Maurice Durufle
Sanctus by Charles Gounod
Pater Noster by Igor Stravinsky
Daemon Irrepit Callidus by Gygor Orban
Today the quartet came together for the first time, after the PrayerSong rehearsal and took a look at the music. Two musicians Lourdes recently met, one from Cuba who speaks no English, and one from Peru who speaks enough English to get by, are joining in. And I finally asked one of the basses in the choir to sing along since I was having no luck finding anyone willing to sing for the small amount of money I could offer.
How bizarre to discover that those who do not do English were familiar with the Latin and the French! Music IS a universal language. I had the honor of working with the Concordia students on the Stravinsky piece, and already had time to figure out better ways of introducing it to new singers to prevent some of the avoidable pitfalls.
I begin to realize that we are not all that far away from the recital date. I need to make sure we do some solid and beneficial work towards getting this music down pat. As for me, I know that what is in my head will eventually get communicated, so I am patient while I work around language barriers and find ways to make this work.
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