Pomp and circumstance

I got more good feedback on my philosophy lecture today. Sounds like some of the students really enjoyed it! Who knew? So we are off to an auspicious start! It’s a big relief, actually. I’ll be doing a couple of lectures in the history department next week, for classes in American history, I’m assuming. One will be on songs of the Civil War, the other on music associated with the civil rights movement. I’m looking forward to both, actually. I don’t have much by way of recordings for the Civil War stuff, but there are websites with the sheet music online. I’m thinking I can sing a few songs by way of example. No accompaniment, but there will be less distraction from the words this way, and some of these songs don’t mince any words in getting at the emotional impact of the war…on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. The only really odd thing? They’re all in major keys! And as for civil rights, my experiences teaching courses on music of the 1960s and the blues should make this one easier. For that, I’ve also got a good number of recordings.

More pomp and ceremony today. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the self-financed stream of the college (the evening division), there was a full morning of speeches and ceremony. They really know how to pull out the stops! The current principal and the two previous ones were all on the platform along with honored guests and a few major players in starting the new program. After five years, I finally got to connect with Winfred Chelliah, who was the college organist and choir director on my very first visit here. Now off doing other things, he was here as one of the speakers. Also had a chance to reconnect with former principal Philip and, briefly, with one of the church musicians who presented for the 2007 course, Premsingh. I’m looking forward to getting out to his church some Sunday to hear what he’s doing in context!

Still getting inquiries about the India 2010 J-Term. We’ve got a good-sized group already, but the more the merrier! I did some more tweaking on the course website, and will probably put the syllabus online in the next couple of days. Lynn is getting the word out to first-year students at Elmhurst, so we’ll probably get a couple more before long. And this year, once it’s full, it’s full. NO MORE! (Easier to say no via email than when a student is begging and pleading at your office door. I won’t name any names!)