Lookin' up
So things are taking a turn for the better in Lubbock. I finally feel like I'm finding my niche here. I'm finally figuring out who's who in the studio. Some of the younger players are actually coming to me for advice now, and I'm finding I actually have something helpful to offer. Also, in the last week, I've started teaching middle school trumpets and horns once a week at a school a few blocks from my apartment and I've started teaching my first student (a 10-year-old beginner - not even in band yet!). It's all finally falling into place.
Apparently I'm not doing as bad on my horn here as I thought either. Somehow, after a few rough weeks of adjusting to everything out here, I'm starting to notice a difference in my playing (in a good way). For instance, I'm playing 2nd horn on Firebird Suite in the TTU orchestra's concert this Sunday. Low horn has never been a strength of mine, but in the last couple weeks, I've gone from just squeaking by on parts of it to actually getting a few compliments. It's about time. On top of that, our conductor is also conducting Pines of Rome for a local orchestra next weekend and he's asked me and another grad student to come down and play the off stage horn parts. It's not a huge part, but I will get a little extra cash out of it and hopefully a foot in the door with this orchestra. I'm excited.
My job at Mardel (the Christian bookstore) is really going well too. The work isn't hard, but there's always something to do. This might make me a bit of a dork, but I really get a kick out of being able to help someone when they come into the store. I love it! On top of that, the people I work with are amazing. It's such a great environment. This past Saturday, I was working while the Alabama game was on tv. My boss actually paged me over the intercom just to give me an update on the score.
I had an interesting realization this week about my job. I had a dream the other night about my old job in Tuscaloosa. Actually, just about my old boss. In my dream, she showed up and was trying to completely run my life. I couldn't do anything without her knowing about it and giving me the ok first. It was awful. I woke up nearly in tears and sick to my stomach. I recognized it as the same feeling I always got whenever I knew I had to ask off work or come in late from a rehearsal or really, just talk to her about anything that I knew might somehow stress her out if even the smallest way. I never knew just how much working for someone like that bothered me and stressed me out.
I went to work that morning with that dream still in my head. Before we open every day we have a short devotional and take prayer requests. That morning my boss was leading it. Listening to him speak and then seeing how understanding and concerned everyone there is for each other made me realize just how happy and blessed I am to work in a place like this. I have a boss who understands that I'm a student and who makes every effort to put my school/music obligations before my part-time job, who understands that I need more than just two days to get back to Alabama for Christmas, and who genuinely cares about me and my coworkers beyond what benefits him and Mardel. That's not to say that everything is always peachy-keen at the store, but in the last month and a half I've noticed that the environment here, in a for-profit retail store (which, btw, is the size of a small Wal-Mart), is actually a more positive, fulfilling, and more Christian environment than that of my previous job (for those of you who know where I used to work, that's saying a lot).
That same afternoon, after my little epiphany, I got a phone call from another store here in town. This was the place I orginally thought I would be working when I came to Lubbock and was crushed to find out that they didn't need anyone after getting my hopes up. The manager there wanted to offer me a job now and called to see if I was still interested. Same hours, slightly better pay (which right now, would help). I turned her down. I'm very happy where I am and I'm not willing to sacrifice that for a little extra a month and chance being in the stressful situation I was before.
So basically, things are much better around here. It's good to feel like I'm finally getting my feet back under me. I still miss Alabama a WHOLE lot and I wish there was some way I could make it back before Christmas, but I think I'm going to be ok out here after all. Texas isn't so bad.
Edited to add: My horn prof just called and gave me the number of another prospective student looking for horn lessons! Hooray!
Apparently I'm not doing as bad on my horn here as I thought either. Somehow, after a few rough weeks of adjusting to everything out here, I'm starting to notice a difference in my playing (in a good way). For instance, I'm playing 2nd horn on Firebird Suite in the TTU orchestra's concert this Sunday. Low horn has never been a strength of mine, but in the last couple weeks, I've gone from just squeaking by on parts of it to actually getting a few compliments. It's about time. On top of that, our conductor is also conducting Pines of Rome for a local orchestra next weekend and he's asked me and another grad student to come down and play the off stage horn parts. It's not a huge part, but I will get a little extra cash out of it and hopefully a foot in the door with this orchestra. I'm excited.
My job at Mardel (the Christian bookstore) is really going well too. The work isn't hard, but there's always something to do. This might make me a bit of a dork, but I really get a kick out of being able to help someone when they come into the store. I love it! On top of that, the people I work with are amazing. It's such a great environment. This past Saturday, I was working while the Alabama game was on tv. My boss actually paged me over the intercom just to give me an update on the score.
I had an interesting realization this week about my job. I had a dream the other night about my old job in Tuscaloosa. Actually, just about my old boss. In my dream, she showed up and was trying to completely run my life. I couldn't do anything without her knowing about it and giving me the ok first. It was awful. I woke up nearly in tears and sick to my stomach. I recognized it as the same feeling I always got whenever I knew I had to ask off work or come in late from a rehearsal or really, just talk to her about anything that I knew might somehow stress her out if even the smallest way. I never knew just how much working for someone like that bothered me and stressed me out.
I went to work that morning with that dream still in my head. Before we open every day we have a short devotional and take prayer requests. That morning my boss was leading it. Listening to him speak and then seeing how understanding and concerned everyone there is for each other made me realize just how happy and blessed I am to work in a place like this. I have a boss who understands that I'm a student and who makes every effort to put my school/music obligations before my part-time job, who understands that I need more than just two days to get back to Alabama for Christmas, and who genuinely cares about me and my coworkers beyond what benefits him and Mardel. That's not to say that everything is always peachy-keen at the store, but in the last month and a half I've noticed that the environment here, in a for-profit retail store (which, btw, is the size of a small Wal-Mart), is actually a more positive, fulfilling, and more Christian environment than that of my previous job (for those of you who know where I used to work, that's saying a lot).
That same afternoon, after my little epiphany, I got a phone call from another store here in town. This was the place I orginally thought I would be working when I came to Lubbock and was crushed to find out that they didn't need anyone after getting my hopes up. The manager there wanted to offer me a job now and called to see if I was still interested. Same hours, slightly better pay (which right now, would help). I turned her down. I'm very happy where I am and I'm not willing to sacrifice that for a little extra a month and chance being in the stressful situation I was before.
So basically, things are much better around here. It's good to feel like I'm finally getting my feet back under me. I still miss Alabama a WHOLE lot and I wish there was some way I could make it back before Christmas, but I think I'm going to be ok out here after all. Texas isn't so bad.
Edited to add: My horn prof just called and gave me the number of another prospective student looking for horn lessons! Hooray!