South Street

This month's goal is to publish something every single day to make up for the sad lack of posts in August.

I FINALLY have internet in my apartment, which makes posting blog updates far easier than before.

Entering week six at the University. I cannot believe that time is flying by so soon. Every day presents new challenges but there has not been a day where I felt less-than-enthused. My students are teaching me so much about Australian culture, food, and music (of course). Hopefully I'm providing them interesting American factoids and helping them sing better.

Weekends are also pretty enjoyable...so strange to feel like a functional person and not a student after all these years of being in academic institutions. Exploring recipes, hopping trains, reading, running...learning heaps. Heaps.

This weekend was pretty tame. My first weekend  back-to-back run. Foot's okay...not great. I fell in love with the Geelong Harmony Chorus tonight at the choral division of the South Street competition here in Ballarat. I found a cafe which now sells hot apple cider as I remember it back home. I washed my own clothes with my own bare hands. I slept in after tasting "Chartreuse" for the first time. I learned how to play "snooker." Hanging on to my American identity, I listened to a Prairie Home Companion before church this morning. My sister called me and we had an opportunity to chat before her wedding shower/bachelorette party. Life is...strangely balanced, while everything is so dynamic and fresh.

Last week I was inducted into the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing. With that, I now embark on a hopeful article about the psychological division between classical singing and musical theatre singing teachers and how we can meld the two with nary a problem. I'm sure such research exists but I do have some new ideas and a fresh perspective possible to influence the way new teachers approach teaching musical theatre subjects. More on that to come.

Cider is delicious.

Last weekend was open day and duck risotto day. Amazing colleagues and great stories. Teaching a voice class in front of an audience of nearly 100 was not intimidating in the least...

More photos to come too! Keep in watch...