My internship

 Just started Wednesday and I am in love with this place. The students are from 5-highschool aged and come here for lessons and rehearsals after school starting at 2 PM. The school is in the 19th district, which is pretty far away from where I live, but really easy to get to from the university. I got there super early, so I had some time to walk around the neighborhood and it's pretty cute.

The head of the school took me around and introduced me to all of the teachers, and by the third person we got to I was already booked to sing in a concert the next day. People are excited that I am going to around until June and want to do anything, from teaching some flute lessons to schlepping instruments around, to turning pages for the harpsichord player (they were desperate for someone, and the page turns were really brutal!). And whenever they have things I'm just interested in, I'll just come and chill. In my first week I already completed 10 hours...I'm definitely going to go way over the hours I need!

The flute teacher is French and has some wonderful students. I sat in on some of the lessons, and a few students are preparing repertoire for this big competition in February, so the teacher, Sylvie, is excited to have me around to be another set of ears and to do extra practice/coaching with the young students. One girl is this tiny Hungarian thing and she pipes out a HUGE sound. so exciting.

I also sat in on a recorder lesson with Johanna, the teacher in charge of the Barock and period music. The student was a maybe 13-year old kid wearing construction boots and the classic skinny jeans and hoody. His music was all kinds of frumpled and messy, which we joked about, he said he had only made it "prettier"---but then his playing was pretty darn serious. Reminded me of a young Joe Lewnard, only missing a scarf. 

I will definitely be helping out with the beginner classes. 5 and 6 year olds do a music "carousel" their first year, where they try piano, violin, and something else for 6 weeks to see how they like it. Eva, who will be teaching a group piano, is SO HAPPY to have a helper. She also directs a flute choir, but since she's not a flute player herself, hopes I can be of use there as well. 

The guitar teacher is also excited to have me around, after hearing from someone else that I also mentioned how I play a little guitar.....basically I am always going to be needed somewhere and will get to work with just about everyone! And when there is really nothing going on, I'll either go to the staff room and make coffee for myself (we all tally it up and at the end of the month contribute), or I'll visit Abraham the Egyptian's oboe lessons. He's an ancient and wonderful man, who will apparently talk your ear off, which is why my boss took me to his room last on our tour! He said that if I didn't know how to play oboe, I ought to come and learn. We'll have to see what happens.

It's also just sweet to get to know so many musicians in the area. After turning pages for the harpsichord player in a concert of French baroque music on Thursday night, I was invited out to dinner with all of them, ended up talking with the conductor later and got invited to sing with his choir next semester. They're doing stuff by Monteverdi, so I was like, yes please please!

The courtyard of the music school, where they have concerts year round (but it's nicer in spring and summer, can't wait!)