My Bucket List

In July, a few months after my world was shattered, I began picking up the pieces and re-shaping my world.  On my birthday, I actually volunteered for a local ultra-marathon. Yup...I know...I lead such an exciting life!  But it actually ended up being a fabulous birthday.  What was supposed to last just a few hours ended up lasting the entire day!  It was during that time that I re-connected with local runner, Gary, who happened to be facing some of the same challenges as me.  After the race, we began chatting and it was during these chats that he challenged me to look at my bucket list and GET STARTED!  And, so I did. Thank you, Gary, for continuing to inspire me to live my life to its fullest!

So, without further ado, here is my Bucket List.  No, this is not a complete list - it is definitely a work in progress. 

~ Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride - DONE! Soooooooooo AMAZING! I'll definitely be posting a recap soon!

~ See the Boston Pops Orchestra live

~ Swim with the manatees

~ Run a marathon

~ Swim under a waterfall

~ Visit Mt. Rushmore

~ Visit each of the United States and eat a cupcake in each one  :)

~ Visit Niagara Falls

~ See a concert at Carnegie Hall

~ Attend the Olympics

~ Travel to Israel

~ Travel to Paris

~ Visit the Grand Canyon

~ See the Northern Lights

~ Go on a cruise

My Goals for 2013

As the New Year approaches, I am already seeing blog posts, Facebook posts and hearing people talk about their New Years Resolutions.  Many years ago, I made a resolution to NOT make any more resolutions!

Instead, I like to set goals for myself for each year.  I'm a "word" person and the word "GOAL" seems so much more positive and do-able than the word "RESOLUTION."

Hey, don't judge...it works for me!

So, here are my goals for 2013:

~ Enjoy more live music
   After seeing some great live shows this year, both classical and not-so-classical, I was reminded of how refreshing it is to hear awesome live music.  I definitely need to seek out more of it!

~ Take more trips to visit my out-of-town friends

~ Run a marathon (maybe this will be the year to accomplish this goal!) 
   I guess I need to figure out which marathon will be my goal...hmmm.

~ Run 2-3 half marathons

~ Run multiple 5k and 10k races
   Hoping to do lots of the local races that I missed this year!

~ Work on my organization skills
   At times and with certain things, I am super organized.  With others, I am super unorganized.  So it's time for the unorganized to find some organization. 
 
~ Continue working on my bucket list (more to come about this...)
   I crossed one item off my list this year and it was AMAZING!  I can't wait to cross more items off! 

~ Work my Mary Kay business the way it's supposed to be worked

What are your goals for the new year? 

A Midwest Experience ~ Confirmation

I recently attended the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, IL which is always an amazing experience for all band and orchestra directors who get to attend.  I will be sharing some of the professional and personal experiences from my awesome trip this year.

A Midwest Experience ~ Confirmation

On our last evening in Chicago, I was engaged in a lively discussion about my possible choice in graduate/masters work.  Let me preface this with telling you that I haven't even begun to research schools for this.  But, it has become quite the hot topic of conversation with others who are beginning to push me to make the jump into my masters degree.  So, for years, I have wanted to do my masters work in Curriculum and Assessment.  Yes you read that correctly.  Not music.  General education Curriculum and Assessment.  I know, I know...apparently, this is a travesty according to some of my fellow music educators, especially the ones who work at the collegiate level.

So, back to this conversation.  The gentleman I was speaking to is a collegiate band director and, of course, he went there.  I had already learned that he quite the "sparrer" when it comes to conversation about any topic; he likes to play Devil's Advocate and does it to truly make you think about what you're saying and not necessarily to offend you.  So, when he asked me about my master's degree and I responded, he took it and ran and ran.  And he made quite a few valid points, although, he did manage to twist my words a bit so that he could play the Devil's Advocate.  And, I admit, that at some point in the conversation, I just kind of shut down.  I sometimes have a hard time expressing myself vocally in those kinds of situations and I find it in my best interest to listen and nod so as not to become a twisted mess of words.  And, if I'm being completely honest, he did make me think...but he also made me realize that I am more confident in my choice than I thought I was. He actually led me to the confirmation I have been looking for. 

Apparently, my lack of desire to study music education could be seen as offensive to other music educators.  And my lack of desire to learn more music theory and conducting is detrimental for my students' education and for me as a music educator.  And don't I realize that if I do a masters in music education, I would probably only have to take ONE theory class, etc, etc.   Then I made the mistake of saying that I wanted something to "fall back on" other than music education.  Apparently, this would be offensive to many music educators since music is what they fell back on. The argument continued.

Here's my take on it.

I love music.  I love education.  They are my life and my passions.  Anyone who knows me knows this.  On the other side of the coin, I truly enjoy learning about Curriculum and Assessment...but NOT just in the realm of music education.  You see, I was first inspired to look at this path by a Curriculum Specialist who had a background in Visual Arts.  I watched her make the Fine Arts relevant to the core educators in my small, rural school.  She was able to encourage and support them in incorporating the arts into their classrooms.  And she was able to encourage and inspire me to challenge myself as a Fine Arts teacher.  She was able to fight for the arts in a different way, from a different position.

This is what I would enjoy doing if I wasn't a band director.  So many times, we music educators get caught in our big bubble of music education and we can't understand why those people outside of our bubble (administrators, core teachers, guidance counselors, etc) don't "get" us.  We can't see past our bubble and they can't see inside our bubble, nor can they understand why we're in our bubble and what's so special inside there.  And, so we are left fighting the same fight every school year.  We are constantly fighting for others to recognize the importance of our Fine Arts in the schools.  

When you have someone who is educated on Curriculum and Assessment AND has a Fine Arts background, I think it would start to open more doors for others in the Fine Arts.  I want to be able to make Fine Arts relevant to other educators and administrators.  Sometimes, to gain the respect of those that are not in our specific field, we have to cross over into their fields.  Not many are willing to do this.  Who better to break down the importance of the Fine Arts to a core educator that someone who has studied and respects BOTH the Fine Arts and the Core Curriculum.

Will my students suffer from my lack of a Masters Degree in Music Education or Music Theory or Conducting?  I don't think so.  I am a damn good teacher, but I am well aware that I have much to learn and I am constantly finding learning opportunities so that I can become a better music educator.  I don't have to have a Masters Degree in some kind of music in order to continue being a great music educator.  

And, in the end, who cares if someone is offended by my reasons for furthering my education in the direction that makes me happy? Who cares if I am not taking what is considered the "normal path" beyond my bachelors degree?  Why should anyone care if I want something a little different to fall back on?  I am a music educator.  Not only is it my job to educate children in the field of music, but I also feel responsible for educating my "education peers" about the importance of music education and the other fine arts.  I am going to pursue what makes ME happy and content. 

Grand Re-Opening of Dolce. Con Spirito.

A lot can happen in a year and a half...and it truly has for me.  My life has changed in so many ways and it has been a tough road with lots of road blocks and speed bumps.  I'm in a very different place now and it is time for my blog to reflect that place. 

So, I declare this the official grand re-opening of this blog.  Here is what to expect in the near future:

First of all....why Dolce. Con Spirito?  - The title of the blog is taken from musical terms. Dolce means "sweetly."  Con Spirito means "with spirit; brilliantly."  I feel this is a pretty good description of me and my life.

I love music and education, so I will be sharing my thoughts and opinions and maybe even a few stories from my experience as a band director. 

I love running...most of the time...and I enjoy working out...most of the time!  As I explore new workouts and hopefully begin training for my first marathon, I plan to share those with you, too. 

I love cupcakes.  They've become a bit of an obsession.  (Which means I really need to workout and run more...)  Any time I visit a new city or state, I am on the hunt for a cupcake shop to try out.  So, because I'm such a nice person, I'll be sharing my opinions about said cupcake shops.

And, of course, I'll be sharing some of the goings-on in my life.  Some things you might find interesting; others you'll probably want to skim over and that is perfectly fine with me.

So, welcome back to anyone who was already following me and welcome to anyone who is visiting for the first time!  

Beautiful You - Day 17

(Days 15 and 16 are in the works and will be posted out of order...)

Replace What You Heard

As I've mentioned in a past post, I really can't blame my negative body image on anyone but myself. Nobody has said negative things to me and scarred me in any way. Nope, I get to blame myself for those feelings. So, I'll re-name this one:

Replace What You THINK.

And I'm doing a much better job of that!! I've made it a point to think positively when I look in the mirror. Is this an easy task all the time? NO! While it may be a challenge at times, the more I do it, the more naturally it comes. When a negative thought sneaks in, I'm getting better at replacing it with something positive or at least something a bit more neutral.

A Grateful Heart

In November, my lovely , beautiful friend, Jillian from Family Rooted In Love dedicated her blog to "Grateful Hearts." She had many guest bloggers (including yours truly) discuss what they were grateful for in their lives.

I was honored when Jillian asked me to contribute to the Grateful Heart series. It would be my first blogpost ever and that was exciting and a bit scary!

Recently, this post has been on my mind and I thought it was worth repeating why my heart is grateful. My reasons have not changed and I am reminded daily of the blessings in my life.

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A Grateful Heart

This post has plagued my mind for quite some time now. Like others, I had a hard time picking just one person or thing that I’m grateful for. Every time I came up with an idea, I would feel like I was leaving somebody or something out. I know, I know…it’s really not that tragic! It’s just a blog post, right?

Last year around this time, I attended a regional forum for district teachers of the year. As the “Former” District Teacher of the Year for my district, I was invited to attend with the current winner. Bryan Coburn, the South Carolina Teacher of the Year at the time, would be leading the forums this year. Bryan had been my “competition” the year before and we became buddies during the various forums and meetings before he won the title and I was looking forward to hearing what he had to say to us (not to mention his amazing dry sense of humor that always had me rolling!)

The wisdom that he gave us that day has given me a new outlook on each day that I wake up here on Earth. The short version of what he talked about:

- Use Mondays to your advantage – we typically dread Mondays, but we shouldn’t. Each Monday gives us a new week in which we have 7 days to make a difference in someone’s life.

- Positive Thinking = Positive Outcomes. We should surround ourselves with positivity.

At this point, you’re probably asking yourself “what in the world does this have to do with A Grateful Heart? And why has Jillian asked this woman to write a blog post?”

Ok. Here it is. My heart is grateful for all of the positive things in my life. I have chosen to surround myself with positive people and positive things in order to make myself a more positive person.

I am Grateful for My Music – Music is my life. Without it, my world would be pretty cold and dreadful.

I am Grateful for My Husband – Michael has accepted me for me – all of the good, the bad and even the ugly imperfections. He supports my crazy schedule, he believes in my dreams and he loves me unconditionally. What more could I ask for??

I am Grateful for My Family – I have this wonderful, supportive family that believes in me and every crazy thing I put on my schedule. They are always there for me no matter what I ask of them.

I am Grateful for My Friends – these wonderful friends of mine support my in every way possible. They give me their shoulders to lean on (and cry on), they hold my hand through the tough times, they celebrate my victories, they listen to my crazy ideas and ramblings, they coach me in my running, they love me for who I am, they teach me amazing life lessons, they help me find my way when I am lost and they are just the most wonderful people in the world.

I am Grateful for My Faith – My journey in faith has been an unusual one. Most people don’t quite understand it – sometimes even I was a little confused by it. But on this journey, I’ve learned to trust in G-d and He will provide. Even though my outlook may be slightly different than others, that is how He created me and I have to trust in that.

I am Grateful for My Children – The “Walker Kids” are something else. I knew that when I went into the teaching profession that children would touch my life in all kinds of ways…little did I know they would end up being truly “my children”…to the extent that they call me “mom” all the time. They have proven that family doesn’t always share a name or a skin color or even a background. Families are created in love and trust and hope…

I am Grateful for My Running – Admittedly, I have a love-hate relationship with running. I love running for the fitness and the accomplishments and the ability to raise money for charities. But running kicks my butt, so I sometimes claim to hate it…but I’m lying. I really do love it!

I am Grateful for My Students – My crazy, unique, talented students. They teach me new things every day. I love them for who they are and who they are going to be. They make me proud, even when they’re driving me a bit crazy!

I am Grateful for My Mondays – Yes. Mondays. Each Monday brings a clean slate. It brings a new week in which I get to consciously make the choice to make a difference in someone’s life. It brings a new week in which I get to think positively and hopefully influence others to do the same.

Beautiful You - Day 14

"Have You Lost Weight?"

Day 14 encourages the reader to banish the question "Have you lost weight?" from your vocabulary.

I stopped asking this question quite a while ago. I learned from personal experience that it is much more positive to give someone a compliment than to ask that question. That question has a very negative connotation.

Instead of asking that question, try a positive compliment:

"You look fabulous!"

"You're glowing!"

"That color looks great on you."

This will be an easy one! What are some more positive compliments we can use?!