I'm sitting in the auditorium of Inglewood High School listening to its band concert (beginners, concert/advance orchestra and terrific jazz ensemble) after my sister Denise addressed the audience from the stage. What, you didn't know the IHS Arts Academy department chair "Miss Gardner" is my sister? Well, I've been staying this whole week at her home because my temp job near LAX is nearby, and it seemed sorta silly for her to introduce me as her "friend" when, heck, we grew up with each other. So out came "brother" :)
It's wonderfully odd and satisfying to see someone I've known all my life in the "outside" world now in her "element" as a teacher and leader (and running a video camera and getting the program handouts ready and checking the stage lights and... :). This is the third night in a row she's done this: Wed nite was drama, Thurs nite was dance and now Fri nite it's band -- each night she basically puts in a 12-hour day. And now she and the band director and the principal have made inspiring speeches about how budget cuts have impacted arts all over but this school has persevered. As I listen to a Sousa march played with gusto, a few tears come to my eyes.
It's a good cap to a long four weeks. After two busy months "off" as a "suddenly retired" person, I was kindly given an opportunity to fill in on a website for a solid two weeks and then immediately began a temp contract stint as a tech editor (did you know "architect" is a verb or that you can "mature" a project, or that analysis of the analysis by analysts was sent to the department of analysis to be analyzed?)
But as a result of being so busy, I've fallen behind in my blogging and Facebooking. Guess I'd better get crackin'.
- - - - - - - - - -
Gary North
Via BlackBerry
800-585-9368
562-437-0511
310-387-8739
