Get it together

Yesterday on a visit to Target, I purchased a pair of (relatively) cheap pair of noise-canceling headphones (not the $300 Bose kind...more like the $50 Sony kind). They claim to cancel out 70% of ambient background noise, which will be excellent for the 13 hour trip to Moscow. Planes are noisy things. I am currently listening to a live recording of a concert Bon Iver gave in Washington D.C. last week, and I must say, it is spectacular. It's on NPR's "All Songs Considered" site. Check it out. Whoever did the mixing did a fantastic job.

I'm currently attempting to get a firmer grasp on my professional life. I'm trying to refocus my teaching and give it some more goal-driven purpose. At the MMEA convention I attended 3 sessions by one of the big-time Music Ed. gurus, Dr. Peter Boonshaft. In the same ilk as a Dr. Tim, he blows a lot of sunshine up your rear by telling you how amazing you are for teaching music, but, unlike many of the Dr. Tim sessions I've attended, actually provided some useful teaching advice. So useful, that I've bought both of his books. Lately I've been examining my conducting and rehearsal habits, and am trying to suck less at both. I'm also trying to make more out of the relatively little time I have with my students in my program. I'm going to stop using my crappy rehearsal schedule as an excuse for poor behavior and results from my students. There's nothing I can do about it, nothing that can probably be done about it in the near future, and aside from that I really like where I am, so I'll just make the most of it.

On the home front, Alison and I have in recent months grown wearier of our living situation. There comes a time when you tire of having people living above your head and all the tension and frustration that can come with it. So, we've started thinking about looking to buy a house. Only problem is, we're in no position to do so! We can't do anything until we both have jobs and save up money for a down payment...so a new place in '08 doesn't look realistic. The whole prospect and process of it all brings out my impatient side, but it will be worth the wait. Anyone have $10,000?

Seriously, go listen to the Bon Iver podcast. It's amazing.