One too Many

I took on one too many things this holiday season! "Things" as in accompanying jobs. I was so excited to get some paid jobs to accompany great Christmas music that I forgot how much time I would actually have to put into it, I think. Don't get me wrong, it was a great experience (mostly) but next year I will not be doing this again! The main thing was that I went to Centennial for a 3-hour block every other day starting mid-November. That was a big time-eater. Then add on 2 other full Christmas Choir Concerts (besides Centennial's) that I had to learn music for (About 10-15 songs each concert), that was a LOT! I was still in my own piano lessons on top of that, so really I was feeling this constant burden to be practicing more. The musician in me just can't bring myself to be unprepared at a concert, even if it is a dowdy little jr. high concert (which none of them turned out to be anyway). And because I took on so much I turned out to be more unprepared than I liked at pretty much all of them. That's what I get for spreading myself so thin! It all came to a head last night at the Lowell Scott choir concert--I had to keep myself from bursting into tears on the stage! It wasn't all because of the music or anything, it was a big combination of like never having enough time in the day and pretty much constantly feeling like a chicken with my head cut off and like I was doing a half-bottom job at everything I was doing, and finally feeling the effects when I got on stage and realized I'd never played through about 3 of the songs with the choir! Ever! Not to mention some problems with piano students spilling wax on my stove and parents coming late and kids being unprepared and traffic being bad . . . well you all know what I mean.

Oh well, it was a good learning experience. And I have to believe that my sightreading definitely improved! And as of 5:30 today I am finally officially DONE with all my responsibilities! I'm free! I can make the treats and projects I started 3 weeks ago! I can watch TV and check my blog more than once a week! I can even waste time on facebook if I want! ooh!

YAY!