My Trumpet Teacher Is A Poet – Is That Cool?

Evening folks.  This unashamedly cheesy title is the name of an article that I wrote that was recently published in Artemis Poetry.  I was asked to write about what links the various activities in my life – and this is what I came up with.  I’m posting up a link to a website called ‘Into the Bardo’.  The article is the featured article on the website at the minute at http://intothebardo.wordpress.com

I’m posting it as well because today has been a strange day.  I’ve been saying goodbye to some of my schools.   I’m going down to three days music teaching in September which means that some of the schools I’ve been working in for the last eight years will be passed to another teacher from the Music Service.

Part of me, if I’m honest, a lot of me, feels sad about this.  Part of me feels guilty as if I’m letting people down – or betraying them in some way.  This is all very melodramatic as well, I know, because most of me knows I’m not THAT important!

But the schools I did say goodbye to said really nice things about me – my job is the type where you don’t really get feedback on a day to day basis – but it felt wonderful to find out that the schools do notice that I’m doing a good job…

And I should explain I’m going down to three days to give myself more time to write, to read, to think, to do some writing projects that have come in, to swan round doing readings, to do some workshops in school – I’m aware I’m trying to pack quite a lot in to my days off – but hey, I figured I might as well be ambitious!

So there was that this afternoon – and the stress of talking through which school to pass on with my manager which was really hard, as I like them all!

And then this evening, whilst having a picnic with the husband and the dogs on top of Kirby Moor with the tide slowly coming in down in the bay and making strange shapes on the sand, my exam results came in for all 11 of my pupils that have sat ABRSM exams this time by email…

They have all passed – a mixture of passes, merits and distinctions – so  a big relief for me, and lovely to ring around them all and give them the good news…

So the article definitely fits with the type of day I’ve been having!  I hope you enjoy it.  You can find it at http://intothebardo.wordpress.com

and thanks to Jamie Dedes for publishing it on her website…