nekodutchi

[nekodutchi]

At the end of the very first episode of Pokemon, Ash sees a Ho-oh flying over the rainbow. In the second episode he sees the picture on the left in the Pokemon centre. He claims the Pokemon he saw was the top right (blue) but when you look at it closer, I think that’s supposed to be Articuno (actual top right) not the Ho-oh Ash saw (bottom right). Now I know I’m nitpicking to the extreme, but I found it interesting.

#pokemon #generation 1 #articuno #ho-oh #nitpicking #anime

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year Out Music Teacher part 7

This year low and behold the school athletics carnival coincided with my birthday… Moving up from 22 to the big 23 (and also you know, putting a bigger age gap between myself and the students). Most of the students were aware of this; there are no secrets when you are a teacher.

Of course NATURALLY the car has to go in and get serviced. It didn’t really matter much in the long run however.

The other music teacher had bought me a beautiful scented candle in a glass jar. The first section of my day included chilling out in the staffroom. The second section involved me standing duty in a desolate area as all the students were elsewhere. I did get to bear witness to the year 12’s filming something for their YouTube channel. I later found out that this persona who dons a black wig and red dressing gown is something of an icon/ hero among the students.

After lunch I was one of four timekeepers. That lasted the rest of the day and was INCREDIBLY boring, especially when timing the longer events such as relays which went on FOREVER! It was during this time that my little brother had come to drop of the car and give me back the car keys. By this point my body was starting to collapse from boredom and he could not work out how was managing to stand like that… guess I’m just talented.

When all the events were done and dusted, the winners were announced and I floated around to supervise, when all of a sudden  a group of year 10 students came up to me and sang me happy birthday. They didn’t go away. They insisted on continuing to hang around and chat to me. These kids are some pretty interesting characters so the conversation would have at least been decent.  (That sounds harsh, but I have had some mind numbly boring/ stupid conversations with students).

But with Eisteddfod fast approaching, EVERYTIME I walked into year 10, this one girl had like 5 new songs she wanted to do for Eisteddfod… like seriously Calm you farm. But the year 11’s were EVEN WORSE!!

#music teaching #music teacher #eisteddfod #athletics carnival #birthday #dear god help me #what am i doing

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year Out Music Teacher part 6

When we got back we were given a vague idea (like whispers in the wind... aka Monday Muster) that there was going to be painting happening around the school. We had no idea that we were up first. Found out the hard way when I walked into school for 8am double to find everything in the big classroom pulled into the center of the room and the walls painted a creamy yellow rather than blue. There was a thick layer of paint dust coasting EVERYTHING because NO COVERS WERE THROWN OVER ANYTHING!! –That was very frustrating. Took a year 7 class to wipe down all the instruments and desks and any other CONCEIVABLE SURFACE YOU COULD THINK OF!

My room was up next, and this time we knew it was coming and were prepared! Pulled all the desks, instruments, anything else we could think of into the center of the room and threw covers over it. The only issue there was the toxic paint fumes lasted ages.

I had to move one of my year 12 classes to a maths room. I had told them to stay put so I could go get their assessment tasks and when I got back they had locked me out. Now I where my keys around my neck 90% of the time at school so that wasn’t an issue, but they had anticipated that and had some people sitting and leaning on the door so I couldn’t open it. I didn’t get in after about a minute... JERKS!!

The doors got painted dark purple (a nice change from dark burnt orange) and it was THE BEST DAY EVER!! PURPLE DOORS ARE THE BEST!! No one else shared my excitement. No one was remotely cool in my books that day. Year 10 thought I had gone crazy.

The painting of the staffroom was the WORST THING EVER!! Maths teachers LOVE to hoard. I was vaguely aware that there was a lot of paper work and folders and mathematical stuff of the sort, but I became acutely aware of it come painting time. It ended up EVERYWHERE!! Not even kidding. There was a huge amount of maths stuff outside my classroom. (Some year 8 boys offered to steal the head of maths’ chair). There was a huge pile of it in one classroom (Which was there until term 4-ish) and smaller piles in the rest of the classrooms.

I ended up being really antisocial and doing everything in my classroom that day. We had to have a faculty meeting in the staff common room and everything.

Year 11 exams were alright, nothing exciting to report there. The kids did the exam; I nearly forgot that the public school exam requires you to time the 20 minute essay section rather than the Catholic school papers where that time is included on the CD for you.

#music teaching #music teacher #first year out teaching #big term #why am doing this to myself #what am i doing

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year Out Music Teacher part 5

So holidays were filled with lots of school work, but also bike rides and dog walks, where the year 12’s saw me out and about. Fortunately for me none of them mention. Could be a case of short term memory loss? Could be lots of alcohol and/or illegal substances? Highly unlikely to be the kids acting all mature on me. 17/18 year olds are DEFINITELY not mature- DEFINITELY not a serious statement either.

School went back and I felt more confident, AAAAAAAAAND so did the kids. The year 8’s were worse than ever, with some pretty hard-core misbehaviour taking place in the class. Year 10’s started to warm up to me. Year 12 one day nearly made me cry. It was the 8am double and I was scaffolding how to structure an HSC answer using a piece as context and three of them were too busy booking schoolies stuff, talking, showing each other funny photos on their phone and ignoring me completely. I had one boy request that I keep going for everyone else’s benefit.

At recess that day one of the girls came up to me with her friends and mentioned that I looked really depressed and it was probably because I just had year 12 music… Seriously, am I THAT easy to read? Thus the story for one of the two times I nearly cried at school.

Term 2 brought a new set of challenges:

·         The painting of the maths/ music department

·         Year 11 exam

·         Athletics carnival

·         Choir excursion to Sydney

·         EISTEDDFOD; the bane of all music teachers’ existence.

·         My first time supplying morning tea

·         REPORTS

As you can see from the above list, it was a very hectic and painful term.

#first year out teaching #music teaching #music teacher

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year Out Music Teacher part 4

So I neglected to mention that there was a school swimming carnival in week 3 It was after school, it was rainy,cold and overall it sucked. The next day the other music teacher and I went to Gunnedah for a workshop with Idea of North. Spent the entire car trip with the other music teacher trying to explain the assessment breakdown to me.

I had a lot of fun blowing the minds of the year 8’s students in my first couple of weeks. One kid described something as “gay” and another kid starting calling him “homophobic” to which I was asked “Hey Miss are YOU homophobic” to which I replied “Oh no, some of my best friends are gay” to which a shroud of silence engulfed the class and one tiny voice asks “men or women?” and I replied “both”. They sat there like stunned mullets, I could hear them thinking “Oh my God! Gay people actually exist!”… yes kids they do! Welcome to the REAL WORLD.

Another mention worthy moment was where one boy asked another boy “Can I stick my finger up your prickly anus?” To which I interjected “As long as it’s consensual”. Again, dead silence until one kid yelled “GET RECKT”.

Then they struck back, at the swimming carnival one boy came up to me in his boardies and says “Hey Miss, do you want ALL THIS?” rubbing his chubby little tummy then ran away. He honestly looked like a chubby pink frog and I was so disgusted that I’m sure it showed up on my face.

There was another incident with the same kid where he called out in class “Hey Miss, he says you want the D”, to which I had to explain was an inappropriate thing to say.

I dobbed him in to my head teacher who exclaimed “That’s sexual harassment! Don’t worry I’ll make him cry for you.” Honestly, this woman is the BEST! She came back to me at the end of the day and told me about her chat with him, and then she looked a bit disappointed and said “He didn’t cry”. Seriously, she’s the best.

I was playing my flute in another school’s musical production at the time of the first lot of parent teacher interviews. The drama teacher was impressed and so was the principal.

The parent teacher interviews were so much fun. I was half asleep and quite delirious so I had a grand old time. The chats with the year 12 parents were amazing and one of them happened to be the older sibling of THAT year 8 boy. So I told his parents ALL about it… and then had to explain what “someone wants the D” means. To which they were mortified and the next day in class, this kid was broken. HAHA!! I won THAT fight!

Then I had to run off to the other school musical. That was a lot of fun and I got free food and wine every night it was on. One evening before the show we were exchanging musician jokes around the orchestra pit. Then my bestie (who is a soprano) leans over the pit and tells a joke so I retorted with “Hey, what is the first thing a soprano does in the morning?” Fortunately no one had heard this joke before which made the punch line even punchier. “She puts on her clothes and goes home”, the whole pit was in stitches and she was offended (but in good spirits). I was awarded “Best Joke of the Night/ Ever”. Other than that I took cookies into the orchestra pit during 2nd act and was the only woodwind player who could play one highly technical passage (rub fingers proudly on lapel).

Now the year 10 and HSC music days were up next. 

When I went to register on the first day the lady I was asked “Where’s your teacher?” to which I responded “I am the teacher”. Of course the year 10′s thought it was HILARIOUS one of the even walked up to the director and said “Excuse, our teacher isn’t here” WHILE I WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE!! Ugh, smart arse. 

I missed Valentine’s Day which deserves a brief mention. The year 12′s dressed up in red (with face paint) wandering around the school with maracas, ukuleles and whatever else they could get their hands on, singing love songs to poor unsuspecting prey. It was amusing,

Next up was the year 12 music days and they were really helpful and informative... for me. The year 12′s showed very little interest and some even sneaked away early. Because apparently getting professional help and good grades are for suckers.

There was also a fire evacuation drill at one point and I was concerned that a lot of students were evacuating THROUGH the buildings to get to the meeting point, only to have one of my year 12′s (who was walking past) give me a reassuring pat on the shoulder saying “It’s alright Miss”, although it did seem awfully patronising.

This all happened in the first 5 or so weeks of school... so fun times ensued and I was convinced this was the best job in the world. This was where the honey moon period ended. Year 8 were absolutely horrendous as a class and were the bane of my teacher career. 

Year 12 half yearly exams came and went, much to my disappointment as the kids had ignored EVERY piece of advice, tips and tricks I had given them, because CLEARLY I KNOW NOTHING!!

Formal assembly I was expected to play the school song and national anthem while the deputy sang as the other music teacher was away. I practiced tirelessly and on the day... nerves got the better of me. The National anthem didn’t go too horribly wrong, but oooohhhh the school song. No one told me that there was supposed to be a 2 bar intro, so I played EXACTLY what was in the sheet music. Meaning the deputy didn’t start singing until half way through the first verse and students all joined in slowly and softly until the last 2 words where it is school tradition to belt them out. 

I went and hid in the staff room in all my shame as I heard all the students dub that “THE BEST SCHOOL SONG EVER!!” to which the teachers then told me about the intro.... yeah thanks for letting me know GUYS!!

I don’t remember if anything special happened at the end of term 1, except for an unrelenting feeling of relief that I had ACTUALLY SURVIVED MY FIRST TERM OF TEACHING!! Which meant now I could spend the holidays preparing next term rather than blundering through with no clear direction.

#first year out teaching #music teaching #high shcool #teenagers #what did i get myself into #sigh of relief

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year out Music Teacher Part 3

The next few weeks are a bit of a blur to me as I spent all of my free time planning lessons and being dead tired. I continued to spend my free time staring at the computer screen trying to think of what to teach and put in my lesson plans, but continued to do things like trivia and open mic. 

But here are some highlights: On my first lesson with year 7 I wore a floor length green skirt, played games with them and tried to get them to sing... so they probably thought I was a hippy. 

The boys in my year 8 class turned into MONSTERS!! They did things like throw juggling balls across the room, called out, sang EVERY song they all knew, crawled under the chairs and were basically LUNATICS while the girls sat there quietly and endured. 

The year 10′s were mostly alright but one girl punished me for not being their previous teacher “but Miss I’m-Not-Your-Teacher-Anymore  lets us do XYZ” ugh. The year 11′s quickly cemented themselves as “My Favourite Class” as they were keen to learn everything I taught them. 

Year 12 had mixed reactions towards me, some were keen to have me as their teacher, some were indifferent and the others were REALLY unhappy. Yup, I managed a three way divide in a class of 10 students. 

The 2nd week I had started strings and there was nothing really exciting there to report, I just waved my arms in a consisted 4/4 pattern and the kids played their instruments. 

The next day Feb 11, we were taking all 15 year 12′s students down to Port Macquarie to see Bravissimo (This is a show case of the best HSC performances from the Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands from the previous year). We had 2 students from last year playing so that was even more reason to go. We piled on the bus at 7am to make the journey. 

Most of the kids had a sleep on the way there so that was good. We saw our performers before hand and the principal of the school who was on leave this year (I found out much later that she couldn’t work out “Why that student (me) was allowed out of uniform”). The show was really good, then we piled on the bus and went home. The kids were awake for this journey... I heard things that day... 

One month later was another excursion, this time in town. It was the year 10 music day and the year 11 and 12 music days. I was looking forward to the year 12 stuff so I could work out what I was supposed to be doing... What will happen at the music days? Are there any other music excursions in the near future? Do I learn how to be a teacher? Will I work out the year 12 syllabus? Stay tuned...

#music teaching #music teacher #high school #excursion #performance #bravissimo concert

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a First Year Out Music Teacher Part 2- First Day

So I had just spent 4 days trying to mentally and physically prepare myself to teach 5 classes (Year 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12). Without much success. The first thing my mum said to me was “What are you going to wear?” which led to the next four days being harassed about how I was going to dress rather than “WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO TEACH!?” 

I was supposed to be taking the Music 2 and extension year 12 class, but I requested to swap classes with the other teacher (she was hoping I would do that, but was upset she has to give up her class which she really enjoyed working with), which was good for me because I had taught those kids last year when I was on prac (except for 3 extras who has dropped down to music 1). 

It is now the 2nd of February and first up on my timetable was double year 8. This particular day has been my arch nemesis ever since. The year 8 class itself had 27 kids in it, for the first half of the double I attempted to do some Kodaly stuff with them, which didn’t go down too well because they are not singers (except for the trio who kept trying to sing Queen). 

They sat there completely silent and well behaved and I thought goof things about this class. For the second half of the double we went next door and the other music teacher took over and introduced the topic we would be studying... Film music. 

Then the double was over and it was time to go to muster, an informal staff meeting where everyone catches everyone else up on what is happening in the school. 

This is where I was introduced (or reintroduced) to the rest of the staff & everyone went on their merry ways. Now the day I had started was the busiest day of my timetable. There was choir at lunch time which I was helping out with, I had year 10, year 11 and year 12 left to go, so I went and introduced myself to year 10 who I had never met before, year 11, most of whom I had attempted to teach last year (it was ugly don’t ask) and year 12. 

The year 12′s were not happy. 

The three new ones seemed alright, but the seven I taught last year were not impressed.I was so terrified I was going to screw up their HSC being a first year out and having no idea how the music 1 course works and there being 10 of them which is HUGE for an HSC music class. 

It had been decided at this point that I was going to conduct the string group (I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT STRING INSTRUMENTS!!) which was on at 8am (starting the following week) so I ended up staying back to choose repertoire for them and didn’t get out of the place until after 4pm. 

I was still living with my parents at the time as I was under the initial illusion that I was going to move away this, then the next illusion where I was going to teach casually and travel around Australia (both dreams thoroughly shattered). 

I got home to find my parents waiting at the door with a camera so they could take a picture of “My first day at school” so they could compare it to me other “first day at school” and post it to facebook. 

I spent all afternoon, evening and night planning lessons for the next day, a trend which continued for all of term 1. Coming up: How do year 12 take to their new music teacher? Do year 8 stay a quiet lovely class? When will I meet year 7? Do I figure out what I’m supposed to be doing with year 12? How does string group go?

#music teaching #music teacher #high school #I look like I'm in year 10 #I have no idea what I'm in for #in over my head #first year teaching #be gentle #why did i agree to this

[nekodutchi]

My Year as a 1st Year Out Music Teacher part 1.

My story starts on Wednesday the 28th of January this year. 6 months previously I had finished a graduate diploma in education and was now a fully qualified secondary (years 7-12) music teacher. 

By this time I had applied for 2 jobs and was waiting to hear back. Wednesday was the first day back at school for students across NSW, meanwhile I was sitting on the couch watching T.V. when my phone rang, after some fumbling around with T.V. remotes I answered the phone. It was a male voice on the other end of the phone and he asked me straight up “Would you like a job?” 

Would I like a job at the school I had completed my last in service practicum at the previous year? It seems like a stupid question, when I job you’ve trained for and seeking employment for falls out of the sky into your lap OF COURSE YOU TAKE IT, so I said yes. Next question “When can you start?” 

I opted for the following Monday so I could actually prepare something to do on my first day. The man on the phone sounded very disappointed and said “Ok I’ll have to get someone to cover you for the next 2 days”. Essentially saying “I was hoping you’d say tomorrow.” 

I later found out that the teacher I was replacing had applied for a job at District Office and told the school on the last day of school last year. Leading to a massive man hunt for the head of department and the other music teacher just trying to find someone, and every person/ institution they tried didn’t have anyone willing to take the job and/ or move to my hometown to take up this position. 

Eventually they rang the teacher at one of the other schools who said to ask me, she didn’t have my number so she told them to ring the local radio station to get my number because my Dad does some weather based announcing with them. However, the receptionist who answered the phone is a friend of mine and was able to give them my mobile straight away. 

The next 2 days I spent up at the high school signing contracts, getting keys, timetables, taking home a massive pile of resources so I could survive my first day at school as well as quit my contract at one of the local department stores (who shall remain nameless). My weekend also included an audition for a musical I decided to sign up for, so I auditioned for a main role but not for ensemble. 

The rest of my weekend was spent sitting and staring at my laptop trying to think of what on this poor green planet was I going to do with DOUBLE YEAR 8 (1 hour 40 mins) FIRST THING ON MONDAY MORNING!! I shall end part 1 here on this exciting cliffhanger... What will happen in the double year 8?? Will I survive day 1? How do the students react to the new teacher? Do the students recognise me as the praccie they had last year? Stay tuned.

#music teaching #music teacher #high school #teenagers #I look like I'm in year 10 #I'am actually an adult #first year out teaching

[nekodutchi]

Last year I was in a short play where a mother was yelling at her son in a corporate office. When we rehearsed at the leading lady’s house the neighbours thought it was legit & nearly rang the police for domestic abuse

[nekodutchi]

10 Orchestral Pieces to Wake You Up in the Morning

1. Night on a Bald Mountain- Modest Mussorgsky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCEDfZgDPS8

It's fast, it's fun, it has a good use of brass section & it also has a nice slow bit.

2. Carmen Overture- Bizet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmuFOuh3QHs

A good pick-me-up. It's lively, it repeats the good bit, it's loud, fast & has all the cymbal crashes.

3. Summer, The Four Season- Vivaldi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx5c_JZIM6M

Has a quaver bass line which gives a driving quality & pushes the piece forward. It also has a rather cheeky quality

4.  Waltz from Masquerade- Aram Khachataurian 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPp3Qh-GRqs

Not your typical waltz, this one is heavy on the lower strings giving it the typical Armenian/ Russian feel. You won't soon forget the squawking clarinets at the beginning

5. Danse Infernale From Firebird- Igor Stravinsky 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wZFdbg7d9U

A very fast paced piece with lots of dynamic changes & constantly changing feel & style to keep you guessing

6. Radetzky March- Johann Strauss I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eab_eFtTKFs

A nice fun piece with lots of memorable melodies, a bit more gentle but will make you feel awake

7. Pomp and Circumstance March I- Edward Elgar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0PHWKRFgZ0

Nothing like a nice march to start the day, this one is heavy on the snare & brass, with the Land of Hope & Glory hymn in the middle to add a bit of British patriotism. 

8. Suite No. 2. Mvt IV. Bergamasca- Ottorino Respighi 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQrXTGmTqb4

This little gem is a nice happy piece of music that will put you in a good mood. Another gentle piece of music with lots of memorable melodies.

9. Jupiter From the Planets- Gustav Holst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu77Vtja30c

A nice fun piece of music with a massive range of instruments and styles all thrown into the mix with the I Vow to Thee My Country featured in the middle

10. Lord of the Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieUAkH53t3M

It has a nice dreamy start, moves into the fun fast paced Lord of the Dance tune, it's jaunty, it has drums & full of Celtic charm.

There are MANY more pieces that fit that belong here, this is just a quick (& hopefully diverse) pick.

#orchestra #classical music #wake me up

[nekodutchi]

But You Can Like Really CumberBomb!

[nekodutchi]

[nekodutchi]

I am a strong supporter of girls complimenting other girls

[nekodutchi]

We bow our heads and pray

[nekodutchi]

Christmas Tradition

In my family we have a tradition where we open up the Christmas crackers & put our own presents inside for each other. I always assumed that this was something everyone did until one day I asked why it's so difficult to get them open. This was when it was explained to me that this isn't actually a thing other people do...

#christmas #christmas crackers #i feel so lied to #reality shattered

[nekodutchi]

Flute's are actually jerks

So I heard instrument shaming was a thing.

[nekodutchi]

Composer stereotypes as described by cats

Inspired by the many “as described by cats” posts circulating in the music part of tumblr. I’ve been meaning to make this for awhile, but never got around to it. So here, I give you, in no particular order:

Brahms Cat:

Elgar Cat:

Liszt Cat:

Haydn and Mozart cats, respectively:

(that other guy must be Salieri)

Beethoven Cat:

angsty, of course

Mahler Cat: 

so serious

Wagner cat:

Berlioz Cat:

And last but not least, Philip Glass cat: