The Opera Trip
Workday - 8:15am-2:45pm
This was a long week. In addition to the Monday night band practice until 6pm and Tuesday night choir practices until 5:30pm (I started a jazz choir at my school, and it meets for an hour after the "regular" choir), I went on a trip to the opera on Wednesday. We didn't get back until 11:30pm (we took transit, and it takes over an hour to get downtown). Then we waited for all the students to get picked up and the last one's parent didn't come until sometime after midnight! And then, I drove my colleague to the subway (it's funny, we were in opposite positions last year. Now I get to return the favour). It was almost 1am when I got home and I was just exhausted. I still haven't quite caught up on the sleep I needed.
I mean, this wasn't just any ol' opera trip. We had to haul ass around the city on foot for most of it. Not realizing this, I had worn some seriously uncomfortable shoes. Opera = fancy attire, I assumed. How silly of me -- times have changed. You can wear jeans to the opera now, if you like. Some people in the audience will look down their noses at you, but that's about it. We took a lot of kids in jeans.
Before the actual evening performance, we had an afternoon workshop with the opera company. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. It definitely made the story easier to follow for the kids as they watched that night. Yes, ok, it also made it easier for the teachers. I'm not very familiar with most operas. Even my colleague who was also there (and is familiar with most operas) didn't know this one.
Today I asked this colleague if we're going to send the opera company some sort of thank you. He said "we thanked them as we left!". Typical guy response, with the lack of courtesy. I then pictured us making up a big, poster paper "thank you" note as they do in kindergarten when the class visits the local pizza restaurant. Of course, all of the students have to sign their names at the bottom. Here it would be, in all its large-perfect-letter-printing-with-a-squeaky-red-marker glory:
Dear COC,
Thank you for teaching us about opera. We enjoyed being able to act out some of the scenes ourselves. It was funny to see our teacher act like the priest. We also thought the music sounded pretty. Our favourite part of the opera was when the woman went crazy and killed her husband.
From,
The Grade 11/12 Vocal Class
(signatures)
This was a long week. In addition to the Monday night band practice until 6pm and Tuesday night choir practices until 5:30pm (I started a jazz choir at my school, and it meets for an hour after the "regular" choir), I went on a trip to the opera on Wednesday. We didn't get back until 11:30pm (we took transit, and it takes over an hour to get downtown). Then we waited for all the students to get picked up and the last one's parent didn't come until sometime after midnight! And then, I drove my colleague to the subway (it's funny, we were in opposite positions last year. Now I get to return the favour). It was almost 1am when I got home and I was just exhausted. I still haven't quite caught up on the sleep I needed.
I mean, this wasn't just any ol' opera trip. We had to haul ass around the city on foot for most of it. Not realizing this, I had worn some seriously uncomfortable shoes. Opera = fancy attire, I assumed. How silly of me -- times have changed. You can wear jeans to the opera now, if you like. Some people in the audience will look down their noses at you, but that's about it. We took a lot of kids in jeans.
Before the actual evening performance, we had an afternoon workshop with the opera company. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. It definitely made the story easier to follow for the kids as they watched that night. Yes, ok, it also made it easier for the teachers. I'm not very familiar with most operas. Even my colleague who was also there (and is familiar with most operas) didn't know this one.
Today I asked this colleague if we're going to send the opera company some sort of thank you. He said "we thanked them as we left!". Typical guy response, with the lack of courtesy. I then pictured us making up a big, poster paper "thank you" note as they do in kindergarten when the class visits the local pizza restaurant. Of course, all of the students have to sign their names at the bottom. Here it would be, in all its large-perfect-letter-printing-with-a-squeaky-red-marker glory:
Dear COC,
Thank you for teaching us about opera. We enjoyed being able to act out some of the scenes ourselves. It was funny to see our teacher act like the priest. We also thought the music sounded pretty. Our favourite part of the opera was when the woman went crazy and killed her husband.
From,
The Grade 11/12 Vocal Class
(signatures)
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