Tag: kid
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Safe places for me
My kid has anxiety, and I had anxiety as a kid until I started doing music. 4th and 5th Grade I was in Mr. Osborn’s boys choir. I took a few ass kicking those years. In the 6th grade I did my best (with a great deal of success) to not be seen at all.…
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Coping with first day of 1st grade
My breathing becomes labored, I don’t know what to do with my hands. By the time I get to my car, I’ve got several tears rolling down my face. Luckily it’s raining…so if anyone saw me they might think it was just the rain. It’s 9:30 in the morning on the first day of first…
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Middle of summer worries for a music teacher
It’s the middle of summer, my kid is watching cartoons while I look at my units of study for the up coming school year. Since I am a middle school band director, I tend to worry about how effectively I am helping students learn specific skills on their instruments and the other parts of music, like music theory and…
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New Food
Sometimes when you’re looking for something to eat, you just need to take a chance and try something new. Recently my wife and I found ourselves with an opportunity to enjoy each others company for a meal without our kid. Unlike most nights out for a meal in which we deliberate where we should go,…
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Sia is my kid’s spirit animal
The idea of a spirit animal is a cool concept. If you look online you might find a test that might match you with a creature which may best represent you. However, the topic at the moment is Sia and how my daughter has committed every song in her catalog to memory. I can’t explain why…
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A Reminder of Why I Teach
Sometime I listen to a podcast called Snap Judgement hosted by Glynn Washington on NPR. The show melds fascinating stories with a hip-hop backdrop. Last week I listened to a story by Joyce Lee called “Dropping The Ball” about her experience with a former student. It gave me pause and reminded me of why I…
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Waiting Rooms Ramblings and Trumpet Routine
Having a few opportunities to sit and think while waiting for my kids appointment to end, I have become accustom to letting my mind wonder about all sorts of thing. There is always something that needs to be done, like grading papers, lesson plans, practice mouthpiece buzzing, stick in a practice mute and pray it’s…
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Planets from my house part 6
My night started off with thoughts of jazz and beer. Brother Thelonious is great for both. Eventually I stayed up long enough to keep up with my latest hobby… Looking up. My kid calls Jupiter “daddy’s planet”, which lets me know the level of my geek is strong. This may potentially be the last time…
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The Mouthpiece Question
I know what your thinking, yet another trumpeter writing about the importance of mouthpiece selection and striking the perfect balance between back-bore and throat size. I happen to follow all those trends religiously but this isn’t another one of those rants. Coincidentally, I currently play a Laskey 75C with a standard throat and back-bore, not…
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Fuzzy Unicorn
I am not someone who has ever cared what other people thought of my style of dress. I’m pretty confident with my look, however I’ve noticed more than a few heads turn when I’m out with my kid. When we are out she gives me one of her toys to hold on to while she…