Slightly off topic, but still important...

I know this blog is supposed to be about food, but my job is of course a big part of my life, too. I think I have the best job in the world. I get to sing and dance and play all day. I don't really have to grade stuff, I only see the kids for a little while so I don't really have to deal with discipline, and I'm pretty much the most popular teacher at school. Not really through any personal virtues, but what I teach is just so much fun.

I know I am very blessed too in that I have a great job position. Some music teachers have no money to spend on equipment, many don't even have a classroom, and are thought of as a waste of time and money by administrators and fellow teachers. I admit there are a few teachers at the school who think I am just a babysitter, but most are pretty respectful of me. And I have a fantastic administrator who supports what I do, and more money than I know how to spend. Seriously, I have never spent this much money in my life. I have every instrument I could ever desire, plus backups. It's ridiculous and fabulous.

However, I have been pretty discouraged this week. I have been making recordings of students to audition for a choir. And thus far have not found even one that I will send to the judges. Some I might keep just to listen to and laugh over when I've had too much wine. Still, I feel that it reflects poorly on me when my kids can't sing. But then I remind myself that I am a good teacher. I know that. I have LOTS of room to improve, but for my second year I'm doing pretty good. These kids, however, have had only two years of good music instruction, and I guess singing is harder than I thought it was.

I think deep down I always believed most people could sing on pitch without having to work at it. It was never that hard for me. And being a musician I probably surrounded myself with other musical people. I am blessed with a very musical family, too. I don't know if I ever heard someone really awful until I started teaching. So much of musical aptitude has to do with childhood. Growing up I always remember singing. My grandma sang all the time, and my mom. Those are some of my best childhood memories. A kid asked me the other day how I know so many songs, and I said most of them I remember from when I was little. Children aren't sung to anymore, or rocked, they don't listen to music, they're told to be quiet when they sing. And music is quickly becoming a lost art, which terrifies me. So, thanks Granny, and Mom, and Donna, and Dad, for singing to me, for giving me music to listen to, for letting me sing.