So Many Good Things Happening!

So many good things have been happening lately! I feel so grateful.

First, I feel like I have finally been participating in music in some really fulfilling ways. Ever since I decided not to pursue a degree in music in college, I have felt like I missed my opportunity to develop my musical skills. But being here in Corvallis has been such a great blessing for me in that way. I was asked to be the ward choir director a couple years ago, which I had done before, and it was my favorite calling. Our choir is fairly small and requires a lot of PR work and practice, but it has been a lot of fun. And it has really grown and developed over the past couple years. I am finally able to give them challenging pieces and know that they can sound beautiful!

After leading the choir for about 6 months, I was asked to be the musical director for the stake play, which completely intimidated me. But I learned so much! Then recently, I was asked to conduct a combined choir to sing in stake conference. Wow - it was AMAZING to conduct a large choir that could really follow me. What an exhilarating experience! It was like playing a really large musical instrument in 4 parts at once, just by waving my hands around! I really enjoyed it.

And then they asked me to conduct the stake choir for the upcoming stake Easter program. We have only had once practice, but it was really fun to work with the cream of the crop in terms of musical ability. I am really excited! Conducting feels like it fits me so well. I have always wished I could play the piano better because I love the expression that can be conveyed through piano music. There are pieces I feel like I can play with all the expression I want to communication. But I don't sight read really well, and I will never be a great pianist. But when I lead a choir, I can help them sing with that much expression. I can use the dynamics, variations in tempo, fermatas, and other musical elements to bring real meaning and beauty to the music. I know I still have a lot to learn, but in the moment, I feel like I was meant to do this.

And also, as a result of my ward and stake choir opportunities, people keep asking me to teach voice lessons. I have refused for a while because I have no formal pedagogy training. But finally, it felt right and I conceded. So I have been teaching a 10-year-old girl voice lessons since October. And I LOVE IT! We are not doing anything advanced, and since she is so young, I have tried to be very careful with her voice. But it has been wonderful to help her discover her head voice and develop the talents she already has. We have also worked on sight reading, breath support, tone, pronunciation, interpretation, and various other elements of singing. She has already improved a lot! It has also forced me to begin singing myself. And surprisingly, I still can! I would like to really get my voice "back in shape", but I'm glad this has forced me to start.

All this music has kept me really busy though. In addition, someone from the stake asked Adam and I to conduct a youth ballroom dance activity, so we spent last Thursday night teaching night club two-step. That was fun. I am also watching a neighbor girl (Lily's best friend), almost every day. But it's all good things and it is nice to do a few things that feel self-actualizing.

And for the final bit of good news - Adam got a job! (You have probably already heard) He will be teaching family studies and human development at the University of Arizona. This means we will be moving to Tucson, Arizona in early August. I am very sad to leave Corvallis, which I have loved so much. I am also sad that we won't be moving any closer to my family - we'll be just as far in the other direction as we are now. But Adam's sister and her family, including Lily's only cousin, live there, and we are SO excited to be close to them!

I could write several more posts about how I feel about this, but I won't have time, so I'll sum up: super excited about being employed, hate the climate in Tucson, love lots of other things about the city like great food, ballroom dancing, lots of artistic stuff, temple announced there, will have to learn how to garden in the desert so my yard isn't just rocks and cactus, LOVE the housing prices, and my hair will actually be blonde again (not yucky brownish like it is now!). I hope it will be a good experience for all of us, but I know it will be a great opportunity for Adam. The job is perfect for him in every way! It is a huge answer to prayers, and we are so grateful! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us to get a job! (Now pray that Adam can finish his dissertation in time to actually start working on August 17!)