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Last Day of Classes
Written earlier today:
I've just finished my last class on my last day of classes, the last day of classes at this school and potentially the last day of classes of my teaching career (who knows?). It still doesn't feel like the end, though, which probably has something to do with the concert that we still have to perform this evening. This whole week hasn't really felt like "the end," and with my actual last class being my double quartet, it definitely didn't feel like the end, because they were just getting ready for the concert.
Now that the concert is successfully concluded, however, it's feeling more and more like the end. Our last concert went really well, I thought. The instrumental ensemble that my friend Steve directs did really well--a good selection of movie themes was popular with the audience and well performed. A group of three students performed a Beatles medley, "Blackbird" into "Yesterday" that came off really well. My Double Quartet did an a cappella version of "Seven Bridges Road" by The Eagles, which was great. They did a very good job on Moxy Fruvous's "The Gulf War Song," though it didn't seem to connect with the crowd very well. I dedicated John Denver's "Today" to my friend James, a song to which he introduced me in a barbershop (-ish) arrangement. The boys sounded absolutely wonderful on it, a perfect tribute. Then we had back to back a cappella arrangements of recent popular songs--one of the coolest things was that two of my students, who also had solos on the songs, did the arrangements themselves, with just a bit of help. I'm so proud of the work they did in both areas on Coldplay's "Lost" and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours." Then one of these very students did a parody of "Don't Worry, Be Happy," all about our school. It was very creative, well done, excellently received. We ended with my Glee Club. It was a rather strange program, starting with an odd marriage of Brahms' music with A.E. Housman's "You Smill Upon Your Friend Today," which was a nice enough little piece. We picked up the pace with a boys' Glee Club classic, "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," and then finished with the crown jewel of the concert, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" with Steve playing piano and our art teacher rocking the guitar. It was by no means perfect, but it was Bohemian Rhapsody, and after a bit of a rocky start they pulled it off pretty well. All in all, I figure it was a pretty good way to go out.
I feel fortunate to have had some really talented kids to work with this year and especially great underclassmen. It's a shame I won't get to work with them at their full musical ripeness next year. It's been great working with you, boys.
Still, it hasn't quite sunk in that the year's over. And technically it isn't--we still have exams next week. I've got to write my exam, I'll have to grade it, and I'll have to write comments for my students. And incidentally, while it's not 100% yet, my back is feeling better. Finally.