Working as a Program Assistant

In my last post I mentioned how I was blessed to get a job that started right out of college.  Well this post is going to go into a little more detail about it!

It was around early November that I began to look at the school district website for job postings, anything that could get my foot in the door with the school system and gain more experience.  After a week or so of checking the district's website I saw a posting for a Program Assistant I position at the local Early Learning Center.  Even though I didn't have any experience with preschool I decided to apply anyway.  A few days after applying I received an email asking to accept a job interview; I couldn't have been more excited and nervous.  Right away I started doing research on the school itself and what requirements the position would require.

Interview day arrived and the nervousness intensified.  I still remember the first question that was asked of me, "Are you comfortable changing diapers?"  Well of course I am, ha ha.  The rest of the interview went smooth after the ice breaker question.  I remember leaving the interview room with anticipation of wanting to know the result, did I get the job or do I continue to look?

A week later I received an email stating the position had been filled, and I almost broke down crying...didn't the interview go well?  Am I not qualified?  How am I suppose to find a job in the school district during the middle of the school year?...  A few short minutes after receiving that email my cell phone rang, the caller ID stating the school district's name.  The little hope I had for getting this job started to come back.  The phone call was one of the HR women from the district offering me a part-time position for the one I applied for (the original application was for a full-time position).  I accepted the position and wrote down everything I would need to complete before the start date.

God was so good to Michael and I by allowing me to get a job in the education field right after college.  This job may not be my "dream" job, but it has been such a pleasure to get out of my comfort zone, learn about preschool and how to work this specific position, and expand my skills as an educator.

If you're wondering what a program assistant is and what exactly they do, it's essentially a teacher's assistant with a little heavier work load.  I didn't realize how much documentation went into a position like this, but it isn't a bad thing at all...I actually really enjoy documenting and observing for specific things that go on in the classroom.  Along with documenting, I get to help decorate the bulletin board, clean the classroom, take care of the kids, and help out with classroom management.

The mornings are early and the days fly by as I get to work alongside an amazing preschool teacher and another nice program assistant.  The kids in our class are so wonderful and their smiles make me want to wake up every morning eager to go to work!

After College: What a Shock

Student teaching is finished and my undergraduate career is complete.  Four and a half years ago I thought this day would never come!  I've been done with college for over a month now and it is still difficult trying to adjust to the "real" world.  Timing couldn't have been better though, especially with finding a job... Even if that job has absolutely nothing to do with your degree, but more about that later.

The last semester of college during student teaching was an up hill battle.  The first half of the semester was very rocky, both emotionally and physically.  I enjoyed my first placement and the learning curve it offered but constantly struggled with never feeling "good-enough", or feeling as if I'd never be a good teacher.  The last few weeks of that placement I had just about gave up on my dreams...as if I was at the breaking point.  It was also physically tiring because of the long commute to and from the schools, and then add the long days/rehearsals (leave for student teaching at 6 AM, arrive at home around 7 PM); by the time I would get home I was ready for bed.

The second half of the semester was much better in both areas.  I was at an elementary school and the days were considerably shorter.  The teacher I was with was very welcoming, kind, considerate, and loving.  I never realized how much I would enjoy teaching in a K-5 setting, but after that experience I know that is where God is calling me.  The commute was still the same but I was able to get home by 4 PM everyday.  I learned so much about how to effectively run and manage a classroom setting, teach music in various ways while implementing strategies to reach different learning domains, and most of all learning how to exemplify my own teaching skills and strategies into the classroom.

Commencement arrived way too fast and the degree I had been working towards was finally handed over (well at least a paper stating I would get the degree in the mail in eight weeks or so).  I was so eager to finally be done with classes and start living life as a "normal" married person without college stress.  But what I didn't realize is how difficult it would be to transition into the "real" world.  I have been struggling a lot with finding friends, finding a church to plant my roots, my spiritual life, finding routine, etc...

God answered my prayers in giving me the opportunity to get a job right out of college!  That job being a Program Assistant at the Early Learning Center in town, which is the fancy term for being a teacher's assistant at a preschool.  Going into this job I thought, "preschool...this should be simple; not much different than kindergarten, right?"  Wrong!  Preschool is a whole new world compared to the K-12 school setting, and it has definitely been a learning experience for me.  I have the opportunity to learn something new each day about early childhood education, which has opened my eyes to how much work goes into the education of three through five year olds.  It is surprising to find out how smart young children are!

College held so many great experiences and I wouldn't change any of those experiences for anything.  This new chapter in life has been fun so far, but the transition has been rough.  I'm hoping to get plugged into a church somewhere, start playing set in a worship setting again, build my faith, and to get used to this post-college life soon!

Was transitioning into life after college this difficult for you?  What are some of the difficulties you found that followed after graduation?

Colton Dixon Concert

Having such a long commute to and from my student teaching placement allows plenty of time to listen to the radio, and a few weeks ago I overheard K-Love announce that Colton Dixon would be touring in our town on Halloween night.  Seeing as my husband and I didn't have plans for that evening, we decided that I could take a few girl friends to the concert...those girl friends being my two awesome sister-in-laws.

We originally had balcony tickets because they were more affordable than floor seats, but Colton Dixon surprised us after he performed the first three songs; he personally invited the balcony people down to the floor!  We actually ended up in the second row, almost an arms-length or so away from the stage!

The entire concert was absolutely amazing, filled with great talent, musicianship, and most of all God's presence.  Colton gave a small talk in the middle of the concert, about faith and how as the church we need to stop just talking about it and actually live it out.  I was almost in tears because that has been something I've been struggling with for a long time now.

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I'm so glad I was able to spend the night with my sisters at such a wonderful event, it was greatly needed.  Being Halloween, Colton and the band gave the crowd a pleasing encore as well; they went off stage and came back out dressed up in Halloween mask, then continued to perform two more songs to end the night.

Batman of course!

New Placement, New Experiences

I'm three weeks into my second placement for Student Teaching and I LOVE IT!!!  My first placement was at the middle school and I'm now at the elementary school.  I have never been in an elementary setting as a teacher, so I had no idea what to expect.  Would it be crazy, non-stop, tiring, exciting, entertaining, fall-and-get-back-up-learning-experiences, or something else entirely?  To sum it all up I would say it has been all of those so far.

Within the first week there I was able to co-teach a little bit alongside my cooperating teacher.  Thus far I have been able to teach kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade, with plans to teach second and third grade in the future.  For the most part the students are very well behaved and seem eager to learn each day they come to class.  I haven't really been upset or frustrated with any of these experiences, which is good!

The cooperating teacher I am with is amazing as well!  She has been teaching music at this specific school since it opened back in 1994, so she has plenty of experience.  She has been nothing but kind and helpful everyday I'm with her.  Most of all I have been learning quite a lot about elementary music, how to teach it, and how to make the classroom a fun and encouraging learning environment for all.

Even better news:

The teacher fair was this past Friday on campus at Murray State University, and most of the local and surrounding school districts were there and represented.  The first booth I went to was the district I live in and there was great news to be announced; there will be two elementary music positions opening up/created in the fall of 2015!  It makes me ecstatic to think about possibly working in the same district I reside in, teaching alongside great educators, and being a part of the community the students are a part of as well.

Fall Break Realization

This past week marks the last fall break I'll have as a college student.  It's hard to believe that four and a half years have come and gone.  So much has happened in a blink of an eye that I can barely fathom what God has planned for mine and the hubby's future.  There are only sixty-one more days until I graduate with my degree, and hopefully this time next year I will be a full-time teacher.

Starting tomorrow I will begin my second student teaching placement, which is at an elementary school.  I'm excited and nervous but I know that I'll learn a lot at this school.  

August & September Update

The past two months have been so chaotic, causing me to take a hiatus from blogging.  In order to keep this post from being a mile long I will condense it to bullet points and pictures!

August:

• I started student teaching/last semester of my undergrad degree.  My first placement has been at a middle school in the mornings, and the high school in the afternoons.  It's been an experience,... more to come later...
• My afternoons and evenings have been spent leading and working with the high school marching band.  This marching band has been awarded 4A State Champions in Kentucky for the past nine years!

• Michael and I decided to get a puppy around the middle of August.  We named her Arya after one of our favorite characters from Game of Thrones.

Arya, 12 weeks old.

September:

• We didn't realize how difficult it would be to train a puppy.  It's been frustrating, but I wouldn't change it at all; Arya has been a joy to have and raise.
• Student teaching is much busier then I thought it would be.  It's much different then any other semester has ever been, I don't even feel like a college student anymore.  Living two hours away from campus and teaching all day without any other course work has been eye-opening in many ways.
• We moved up to the smart phone world!  I've never owned a smart phone until this month,...
• I'm one week away from fall break and my second student teaching placement, which will be at an elementary school.  I've never experienced teaching elementary students, so I am very eager to see what it will be like.
• Graduate school has made it's way onto my to-do list; I've been brainstorming possible degrees and paths I could take.  Although this is an adventure I do not want to begin for at least another year.
• I received my first gift from a student!  It will be going on the refrigerator soon.

Now that the first half of student teaching is over and commencement is less than three months away, blogging will move back towards the top of my priority list!

Band Camp Mayhem

It's been over a month of non-blogging and there is actually a good reason why; marching band.  Near the beginning of July I started preparing for three weeks (two and a half actually) of teaching the percussion section during band camp.  I didn't plan on going so long without blogging, but the only access I had to wi-fi was at McDonald's, so now it's catch-up time.

Percussion camp was first in the band camp series and it went great.  The line I worked with is very young but has so much potential.  Within the first few days I could tell that they were all very determined to learn and practice.  The entire band had pre-camp the following week, in which I was able to get to know more students in the program and help out with fundamentals.  The last week was actual band camp where the band had the opportunity to stay at a campsite and learn the show in a unique environment.

The percussion section alongside me and the other percussion instructor.  (faces are blurred for protection)

This was the second summer I was able to work with this program and I'm still amazed at the wonderful attitudes and discipline the students have.  Each day was a learning experience that challenged me to look at my teaching abilities in a different way.  The student's outlook on marching band began to change as the days passed, they where always striving to become better marchers, musicians, and people.

The awesome band directors and instructors.

I could go on and on about how great the program is, how much enjoyment I get from teaching the students, how fun staying at the campsite was, and just how memorable the entire experience was, but instead I will leave you with some bullet points to sum up the experience.

• Great people to teach alongside.
• Wonderful students.
• The one thing I look forward to each summer.
• Beautiful campsite.
• Great housing.
• Not-so-great cafeteria food.
• 6:00am-9:30pm days!
• New friendships.
• Expanding teaching skills.
• Teaching experience to remember for a life-time.
• #wannagoback (I love teaching so much that I used a hash tag...I despise hash tags)

This summer may or may not be my last summer with this specific band program because of possible career options I may have next year.  If all goes well with future career aspects then I'll be back next summer to work with this band program along with having my own teaching job next fall.

"Creepy" Content Continued

It has been found!  The evil source of our spider, flea, and other pests problems!  All morning our cat Gracie couldn't be found and I would have to coax her out of wherever she was hiding.  Tired of coaxing her I finally decided to try and find her secret hiding spot.  A quick look throughout the apartment led me to our bedroom closet where she was snuggled up in the back corner on a box.  As I went to get her from the corner I heard the faint sound of wind.  Moving the hubby's trombone and a cooler revealed the source; the hole where the dryer hose is suppose to connect, leading directly outside where there is a small field.

I quickly covered it up so no more pests could take shelter in our apartment and went to the office to fill out a maintenance request.  I was so thankful I found it before Gracie could squeeze through it or any more bugs could come inside.  Also because pest control is coming at the end of the week to spray outside, which definitely would have attracted more insects inside.

I'm guessing this was overlooked when we moved in because it was pouring rain that day and we were all trying to get things inside as fast as possible

"Creepy" Content Included:

Rant time.  I've mentioned in previous posts before how much I love our new apartment and town.... What I haven't mentioned is how much I hate the arachnids that have come to greet us and say hello.  We've lived here a little over a month now and I've noticed an uncanny number of creepy-crawlies, everywhere!  I've told myself time and time again that I'm not that afraid of spiders, but this has started to get out of hand.

Today alone, Earlier this night I've found three, let me repeat, three spiders; all of which were different in size and shape.  I'm done! My subconscious is screaming "RUN!", but sadly I keep finding them.  I've noticed probably around fifteen spiders all together since we lived here, but they've typically been spread out over a few days or so, which isn't as bad.  This is ridiculous!

All these sredips, (I don't even like typing the word) are driving me insane, haha.  I know they help with other pests, and I respect that, but I don't like finding numerous ones in a period of a few hours.  This overwhelming occurrence could be caused from the pest exterminator who came by this morning yesterday morning and sprayed insecticide in certain areas of each room... Now it's going on 3am and I'm wide awake because all I can think about is spiders under the bed...End rant.

Anyone else have an deathly fear of arachnids?  I definitely know I am now.

Surprise Visit

Sunday night I received a phone call from one of my best friends, Ashley, asking if she could come visit for a few days.  I hadn't seen her in over a month so the answer was obviously yes!  Within a few hours she was at our apartment and the excitement and fun began.

Blue is mine, yellow is hers.

A brief history of our friendship.  I met Ashley back in high school in our Music Theory class.  She was the "new girl" in the class and no one was courageous enough to go up and introduce themselves, so Ms. Outgoing me skipped over to her and welcomed her to CHHS and the band room.  Our friendship quickly blossomed and grew as we continued to know each other more and more.  Come to find out we were both huge nerds and goofy as could be!  As the years passed by she went from being the friend I knew from music theory to the little sister I never had.

Early week fun.  Back to the main focus of this post... Sunday night was spent playing Mario Kart 8 (ridiculously fun on the WiiU), shopping at Walmart, and catching up on all of the mishaps that have occurred over the past month.  Monday was the only full day we had to spend together, so we spent it like most friends would...doing laundry all day, swimming, walking down the riverfront and having fun!  We read most of the historical signs, took a lot of selfies (I despise that word) photos to capture the memories, and continued to catch up on everything.

Unfortunately our time together was short and she had to go home for their family vacation.  I"m very blessed to have a friend like her in my life.  She has always been there for me, she's been my shoulder to cry on, a friend when times are good and when times get tough, and an overall great person to be around.  It may seem like ages pass between our visits with one another I know our friendship will always remain.

She just started a blog and I'm wanting to help her get some followers!

Her blog is Summer Come True.

She is taking a trip to Arizona in a few days so there will be some great stories posted on there!

New Beginnings

It has been three weeks since we moved to our new town and I love it!  To be honest, I didn't think I would enjoy living here at first, but once we got settled in and adjusted it began to feel like home.  It feels like my hometown but on a smaller scale, and there is a river front!.  Some of my favorite things about this new apartment are: there is a small yard in the front, a pool, a tree, and no parkway right outside!  Yes, I said parkway... Our last apartment was right off a parkway and there was always traffic.  We never heard the birds chirping because of the traffic noise 24/7.  Now we have some peace and quiet and can hear nature.

Along with enjoying the new town and apartment, we have also began seeking a new church.  We really want to find a church that is similar to our old one (The Journey Church), one that is contemporary and geared towards unchurched people.  One that welcomes everyone no matter what background they have, where they come from, how they dress, etc...

For me, trying out a new church can be intimidating, scary, exciting, and so many other emotions all tied together.  That's exactly how I've felt during this transition, but I know God is going to lead us in the right direction.  If you've known me for any amount of time you know that I'm a go-getter and always want to get involved and invested right away.  The downside to this attribute is I don't give myself enough time to fully understand certain situations and get "comfortable" with surroundings.  The past few Sunday's have had me nostalgic about being involved in music ministry, but I realize that I need to take baby steps in getting involved.  You have to walk before you can run, right?

Does anyone else feel like this when trying a new church, or organization?

What are some of the feelings you experience with transitions in life?

Nashville Getaway

Over the weekend Michael, Sara, Kiefer and I all took a trip to Nashville together.  The special occasion was in celebration of our friend Craig's wedding that Saturday.  The weather was beautiful the entire time, and to make it better we were able to hang out in a different town as two married couples!  We celebrated our friend's marriage, caught up with some old friends, and spent the evening in downtown.  It wasn't a long get away, but it was fun and memorable which is what counts!

Moving Day

The move to Henderson went very well!  We were able to load the truck up in under a few hours, the drive was safe, and the unloading... well the unloading was not so fun.  The rain held off just long enough for us to travel to Henderson, but as soon as we started to unload it decided to pour rain the entire time.  As a matter of fact it stopped raining as soon as we dropped the U-Haul off.  Other than that we were able to transition to the new apartment fairly well.

Loading up the U-Haul

Moving on a Wednesday was some what unconventional because Michael had to go back to work the following day, but that allowed me to spend the next few days unpacking and settling in.  We've been in this new apartment for a few weeks now and love it!  Even though it is a tad smaller in square footage, it feels so at home!  Everything about this new place is wonderful and I'm glad to know that we are staying in the same town whenever we decide to move again.

Happy One Year Anniversary!

One year ago today I walked down the aisle and said "I do" to my other half.  I had no idea what God had in store for us, nor all the blessings that would come from this amazing relationship.  In a blink of an eye our wedding day was over and a year has already passed.  Michael and I have been together for over three years now, yet it seems like we've known each other our entire lives.

We celebrated this special occasion a day early by going on a great date that was topped with dinner at Red Lobster (my first time eating there and it was fantastic).  The night was spent with some family and friends sitting around a fire pit, cooking smores, and hanging out.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate the day.

God definitely knew what He was doing when He put us together, we really are made for each other!  Through thick and thin we've been there for one another, and I know that no matter what comes our way we'll be able to overcome.

Good News Comes in Twos

Short, sweet, and to the point is tonight's post.  As the title says, Good News Comes in Twos, and that is exactly what happened today!  I received an email a few days ago stating I needed to go to the music office to pick up an award; I would have known this if I was in Recital Assembly, but thankfully do not have to take that class again.  I swung by the office before leaving campus and found out that I'd received the Charles E. Simons Alumni Scholarship for musicianship/excellence!  I now have enough scholarships to afford the majority, if not all of my last semester of college.

The second good news was finding out my first Student Teaching placement.  I've been patiently waiting to hear from Teacher Ed. Services about this for weeks, and this evening I actually got a voice mail from the band director himself!  The placement is a little drive away from Henderson, but I'm not complaining because the program I'll be working with is amazing and one of the top band programs in the state of Kentucky!  This particular director also worked with my high school band program multiple times when I was in it.

God is so good and his blessings are bountiful!

One more thing - two more days until our one year wedding anniversary!  Time flies by when you're having fun!

Right Around the Corner

The date for our move is right around the corner and I can't wait!  It's bitter sweet to be moving but I'm very excited to start a new leaf near family.  We'll be moving to our new apartment on May 14th, then spending the next few weeks unpacking (which is always fun).  I kind of know how to get around this new town from all of the visits to see Michael when we were dating, but figuring out all of the back roads through town will be an adventure.  Leaving a place you call home is always tough even when it seems easy to pack up; making a new place your home always takes time.

Moving Onward!

I was planning on posting this yesterday before I realized how long that post was getting, so here is some more good news today!  As mentioned previously, there have been some ups and downs over the past year; one of those "downs" being that me and my husband have been stuck where we're at.  What I mean is we've been stuck in this small town with nothing to do, thirty minutes away from anything "fun" other than a Wal-Mart, hours away from family, and unable to do anything about the situation because of my classes on campus.  Over the past few months we started thinking of the future and what we could do to change it for the better; let me just say that God is good!

Everything has seemed to line up in place and all in good timing!  We decided that once I finish up my classes on campus and can start Student Teaching that we'd move closer to his family.  I was able to request my student teaching placements for the area near his family and will hopefully find out those placements within the next month.  We were also praying that he would be able to find a job in the new area soon so we could start looking for a place to live; God answered those prayers as well!  Just recently we got the phone call that he received a job in the area his parents reside, and that he would be able to start in a matter of three weeks.  This works out great because we also have the opportunity to go look at an apartment in that area this weekend.

Change is around the corner and I'm eager to see what the future holds.  I'm sad to be moving away from our current apartment because it finally feels like a "home" and we're close to my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and friends at MSU, but I'm ecstatic to start this new adventure in our lives and to see what happenings will come.

A Crazy Fun Spring

What a wonderful and crazy year it has been so far!  There have been so many things that have happened since my last post, which is why I haven't been able to post much.  I'll try to keep this post short, but I'm not making any promises, haha.

Western Kentucky had a snow/ice storm at the beginning of March, which we didn't think would be that bad until Michael's car decided to be cruel and fall apart.  The weather made it difficult to get our cars out of the parking lot, so we played it safe and stayed at home the first couple of days.  Side note - the last ice storm we had back in January was harsh on Mike's car...it took both front door handles.  We thought it would be a "great" idea to save money and just use a wire coat hanger to open the driver side door... Not a good idea.

What we didn't know was the hanger was putting stress on the lock mechanism for the door.  Well by the middle of the week Michael decided to take my car into work (hoo-rah for front wheel drive!) and I was going to take his to school later that day.  Long story short, I was able to get into his car, but when I tried to shut the door it wouldn't stay shut.  The lock mechanism had completely broke, causing his car to be in the shop for three weeks getting fixed while we borrowed his sister's car.  I'm so thankful for amazing family!  Without Sara I wouldn't have been able to go to class and run errands.

That was just one of the recent crazy happenings, there is more :).  I finished all of my hours for Extended Practicum a few weeks ago, which was bitter sweet.  I had such a great time at my last placement and learned so much.  I'm very thankful to have had the opportunity to learn and teach under such a great band director and music teacher, and I hope to be as good as he is someday!  Middle school is definitely my favorite age group to teach.

I performed my senior recital this past Saturday, it was by far one of the most fun moments of my music career.  I didn't realize how fast college would pass by and now that it's almost over it's actually kind of sad.  The past four years have been a roller coaster of ups and downs; from struggling in certain areas of life to meeting the man of my dreams and starting a whole new life together with him.  I always thought it was going to be great to be done with the heavy practice schedule I adhered to, but now that it's over I'm actually sad that I won't be able to play wonderful music on a daily basis.  I am very happy that I was able to give one last great performance for my family and friends

Unlike most instrumentalist and vocalist, I am a percussionist (best instruments ever).  You may ask, so what?  Being a percussionist is amazing, but unfortunately I have never had the privilege of owning my own mallet instrument like a marimba (the instrument shown above) or vibraphone.  Not owning one of those instruments makes it very difficult to actually practice and play one of the major instruments in the percussion family.  When I first came to college I could barely play a mallet instrument, and over the past four years I've been able to become a better musician on almost every percussion instrument.  Now that summer is right around the corner and graduation is at the end of the year, I will only have the opportunity to play drum-set and other battery percussion because they are  more accessible than mallet instruments.

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have studied under a great percussion professor and to have performed along side some of the best musicians and friends!  Without all of these wonderful people I wouldn't have come as far as I have.  Thank you everyone who has supported me throughout this amazing musical journey!

Along with my senior recital, I also donated over ten inches of hair to Locks of Love!  I haven't done this in a few years and decided that someone else could benefit from the mess of hair I didn't want anymore.

Well, that is all I have to say in this post without making it drag on.  It's good to be back in the blogging world!  With all of these events finished I'll finally have time to sit down and put effort into creating some good posts.

God is good!

Winter, Winter, Go Away

It's the beginning of March and winter had to have one last go around.  The weather last week felt amazing and there were a few days where I was able to go outside without a jacket; I honestly thought I was going to be putting our winter coats up.  The forecast changed near the end of last week, predicting snow and ice.  I'm a optimist and like to look for the good in things, so I was hoping that the forecast would be wrong.  Unfortunately the forecast was actually right, and we ended up getting around five inches of snow on top of a quarter inch of ice.

The roads were so bad that Murray State closed campus for not only one day, but two.  Campus hasn't been closed for weather since my freshman year (four years ago), and even then it was only closed for one day.  My senior recital hearing is less than ten days away and I'm stuck at home because of the fluffy white powder that fell from the sky.  I'm keeping my hopes up that campus will reopen on Wednesday so I can get some much needed practice time in!

After about twenty minutes of brushing and scraping, I was able to clear off the majority of snow and ice from the cars; but as you can see there is still a bit of ice left over.  It was way to cold to stay outside any longer.

Not much longer until Spring arrives and warmer days are here to stay!  Until then, I plan on staying inside where it's warm and safe!

Kentucky Intercollegiate Band 2014

Every year around December the MSU Wind Ensemble is informed of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Band, and how we should sign up because it would be a good experience.  Every year I would just pass the sign-up sheet to the person next to me because my thought process was, "I don't have the time...I can't miss any classes to do this."  I was so wrong!  This year I finally put my name on the sheet and was blessed to have been selected to go.

The drive to E-town was one of the worst driving experiences I've ever had.  Earlier that morning it had started to rain, but within a few hours the rain had turned to sleet and a wintry mix.  A drive that normally takes three hours turned into about five.  I couldn't drive faster than 45-50 mph the entire way, and actually had to stop once to calm my nerves.  Luckily I arrived safe and sound at my parents place!

The next few days were spent practicing in preparation of a concert that was to be given in the spectacular Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.  The guest conductor was fantastic and the ensemble did amazing.  I don't think I've ever been in an ensemble setting that performed as well as that specific ensemble did.  We performed a wide array of pieces from Olypmic Fanfare and Theme by John Williams as the opener, and To Tame the Perilous Skies by David Holsinger as the finale.

I won't go into too much detail, but the overall experience was well worth the horrible drive, early mornings and late nights.  The performance was one I'll remember for years to come!  I wish I'd have given KIB a chance in the past, but I'm glad I had the chance to experience it at least once.