RETIREMENT ?

don't retire if you want some peace . .

just thinking a bit - - here are some of my activities over the next 20 days:
8 rehearsals with choral ensemble tempus floridum
finish the recording of a cd and mount the tracks together this sunday, in a town outside of florence
4 mornings of summer school with little children
2 afternoons of regular choral rehearsals with children
2 days summer course out of town with another choir
Elena visiting for 3 days, leaving me Maxine our golden retriever
Walking Maxine everyday
Park Elena's car at Riccardo's garage for the summer (hour trip)
Accompany Elena to new dentist (most are closed for a long weekend when she comes)
2 concerts on june 24th (2.5 hours of conducting and playing piano)
3 days of several hours of rehearsal in the opera theater for an opera in which 23 of my students sing
Evening concert of this opera not-staged (Mefistofele)
Concert with vocal group in a little town out of Florence sunday 28th (Scarperia)
3 afternoon rehearsals for our Christmas cd to record in october
individual teaching schedule at my house
keep up my blog for end of school year info and new enrollment info
evening concert for the dedication of a canoe! given in the memory of a colleague who just passed on
clean the house, go shopping, iron everything ! ! !
And all in extreme heat
I thank the Lord I do not have exams and meetings at the state conservatory anymore . .
but if this is retirement . . I think I'll go back to work .

CONCERT yesterday with Young Madrigal singers

the Madrigalists had a concert yesterday. These are 12 adolescents. It was largely very successful although 4 singers were still suffering from laringitis, and I also had to barter for a free room at the Fiesole Music school. I had reserved the Limonaia (where lemons used to be grown) but Brigitte's orchestra was rehearsing. Kindly I convinced her to move her group to another large place, then I rearranged everything, brought in flowers in a vase for the piano, swept the floor with the broom and set up the chairs. I did vocal warm-ups with the kids, they sounded fine. Then the concert started, the pieces where everyone sings together went wonderfully - madrigals, canzonettes, motets - but largely speaking everyone was SO nervous they could hardly sing their solos. I must say that Cristina and both Eleonoras did very well, so did Costanza and Francesca P - her father was in the second row. Poor Chiara kept watching her mom who has to be operated on soon and broke down during the first song. She lost her father last year. I was accompanying so I just started over and she pulled thru. She also sang a second piece with the group on the refrain, and that went fine.Eleonora B was totally pissed off . . angry, wouldn't look at the public, wouldn't take a bow, wouldn't smile. I wrote these kids a letter telling them they need to be happy, the public that comes in great heat need to see pleasant people sing. They must bring some camomille and learn to present their songs in good humor, with good education - that is, they must be polite and smile and look at the people as they perform. We'll have to study this format our next lesson. Anyhow, I find some of their mentalities really difficult to cope with, spoiled kids used to compliments all the time. High expectations of themselves in every occasion yet they'll talk all during rehearsal and then go to pieces in a concert. Some parents are hard on the kids, others are just so busy all the time they only get to hear them twice a year and the kids want to make a fabulous impression, but they are too immature yet, scared of everyone and start to cry or breathe badly, then sing wrong notes and won't take a bow. Maybe they figure they didn't deserve any applause . .

Riccardo and I shared accompanying the kids for lack of time to rehearse together with each singer. I rewrote many accompaniments so that the accompanying music basically comes out the same but is written more simply. This made my job easier, especially since I don't see too well. People came to the concert that don't have much time to spare. So that was nice. Oh yes, my friend Annamaria M came, and an ex-pupil came, Giulia P, now an upcoming singer. She has a professional mentality, thank god someone does somewhere in my week. I meet very few professionally minded people in all walks of life. I guess they figure life is too short so why bother being meticulous, I think the opposite, just because life IS short, one should try to do things as best as possible, you may not have the time to get a second chance. Anyhow, my 12 adolescent singers in the Madrigal course ALL came to the concert yesterday, all wanted to sing even those without voice ! ! ! but their anxiety and fear of performing in public is outrageous, I wrote them a letter that they must cut it out. Let's hope it takes effect.

UPDATE THREE DAYS LATER
A lot of kids are coming over to my house for lessons and swear to present their pieces better on the next occasion. So it's not a bad idea to write a lousy letter of discontent to your students, if they really want to make you happy and really love their music, they'll come through and try to alter their behaviour. Maybe it's happening this way now since school is closed and they are more relaxed. However, one girl was telling me how nuts and critical this one mom is, no wonder her daughter age 15 sings angry and starts to cry afterwards. Too bad, lovely kid ruined by her mom.

KIDS in Italy - my experience

Let me add that there is a big difference between the kids of 10 years ago and those I know now.Even my adolescents say the same about the grammar school kids, so you can imagine.
I know a lot, been with kids for years here in Italy BUT I am sure I don't know it all, especially regarding life in other areas of Italy where I haven't lived. Kids in Italy will soon start their 3 month summer vacation. Kids are very spoiled in Italy, they owe nothing to anyone, they are the center of attention and complain all the time about everything, they say that in school they are mistreated because their teachers and profs ask for a bit of attention and preparation. -They probably ARE mistreated, I admit, 6 days a week of school is too much with afternoon activities all the time. No quiet time. So this schedule alone is punishment and mistreatment, and when they become adults they will DO unto others as was DONE unto them! I really am glad life is short . . presently I am doing a lot but I feel like I am getting nowhere fast.
The kids are really tired now, but they certainly love to PARTY ! Especially birthday parties, life stops for Birthday Parties and First Communions. Oh lord, this catholic thing, so much catechism . . it really has very little to with how one conducts one's life. Maybe the priests are hoping to get more young people under their wing, seems that priesthood has diminished over the last years. Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Episcopalians - - do we really all go to a separate creator when we die?
My students love what we do in music once they get INTO it, and understand what needs to be done, what the preparation entails and how to judge things - music and performance and public reaction. They do learn ALL about the organisation aspect, how to organise the voices, the kids, the scores, the library, the research, arrangements and adaptations, the parents, trips, internet ads etc etc. That's a course in itself.
I must say that when I have visitors from America, they are amazed at the concentration and obedience of the children in my classes. The American kids are a mess, they eat poorly and have no philosophy of life other than going to the Mall or getting presents. Now many American kids are being paid by their parents to do well in school. It's worth it to the parents, the kids could get a scholarship for college and that would save a lot of cash for the parents. So it's a good investment.
The kids in Italy are over protected because once they come of age, no one will protect them much anymore, so the parents overdo things while they can . . they stay out late till 4am every chance they get and no work will be available for many years so they'll stay at home till age 40 or until their grandparents finally die and leave their house to the parents and another place to live in will be available. That's what I'll be doing. Kids have to study at the University for many many other years, maybe finish more than one degree, there's not much else to do, there's no work available. This is why the Italian kids KNOW so much, I mean they really do . . history, latin, greek, philosophy ecc. Many have been expatriating since the middle of the 19th century for work. And YET . . I have a lot of work, but having worked for the government, it is forbidden for me to open my own business. That's capitalism and what we have here is a sort of fascism/socialism. I don't see where the difference is much, both forms of government want to control every darn thing you do and prohibit people from working multiple jobs . . that's another long story. What I'm getting at is this: if I for example were allowed to open another school or cultural association of my own, I would be giving work to many a young musician. But since the socialist philosophy is that no one should earn too much, then no one earns anything practically because new initiatives are discouraged; I now could start another school with great success, give work to others, but no, I receive a government pension and that should be enough for me for the rest of my life, with inflation and everything. Lousy system even though I must say I have done well in it, but that's because I had studied well as a kid, studied all the time, Facebook didn't exist in the old days, and I have been successful inventing my own teaching methods and materials. Now if I wish to start a business or a school I'd have to move back to USA.

THOUGHTS for today and tomorrow

thoughts for today and tomorrow in English.

I love having a blog, imaging I am speaking to someone. It's mentally stimulating and cleansing. I really have very few friends now to speak to, many have moved back to USA, others have died already and I don't have time to belong to new social groups. I like going to church when I can, but I often am very tired on a sunday morning and just sleep in, do laundry and finally get to washing the kitchen plates.

I meet new people when I have Max to look after, then we go to the park together. We can now go and play ball and have a picnic in Villa Favard. I'll pay for parking, no problem. I feel bad though when she leaves, I really miss her because as Golden Retrievers go, she really is one of the best, she listens, she understands and I really think she feels how you feel. She gets jealous when I stay too long at the computer or on the phone. Elena will be bringing me Max next week, I can't wait. She'll be with me for 6 weeks, then I'll be off on vacation to ALASKA in august so I'll be thinking of other things and will get over her absence shortly I hope.

When do I get to see my 80 yr old aunts again? I hope at least a couple of more times before death parts us. They have always been so nice to me - - Margaret, Carmen, Rose, Camille (she's really a cousin)
When do I see some of my cousins again . . I have found many on facebook, that's nice. This summer I'll see the Bellanti's and the Martinez family in LA. Also my Armenian friends, Ani - Janine - Sebouh. I wish we all lived nearer because once I don't have school to teach (which doesn't happen very often) it's really quite lonely with no friends or relatives.

Obama at the WH, everyone loves the guy but I have a feeling that changing everything in USA the way he wants to is not really a great idea. Many things just need a good fixing, people need to comply to rules and not be so greedy. And his Czars? Why such a bad term? Is this his term? He has put in over 100 of them? Call them monitors maybe. Maybe he considers himself a Czar.

Closing Gitmo .. great, it shouldn't exist, but neither should cancer exist! no one wants the guys though, small problem. Four are in Bermuda now . .those people didn't really want them. Can't send them back to Yemen, maybe they could be sent to Saudi Arabia, their homeland ? I'm sure they'll be treated better by their own people than they have been in Gitmo, they'll feel right at home once more. Is there a problem sending them back home? What ? - -no Bar Mitzvahs there?

Drug tunnels from Mexico to southern USA . . . what's stopping Alkaeda from coming through. Who cares, what a stupid thought, can't they just land on any beach anyhow - - weren't the guys on the planes in 2001 all foreign students in the country legally for many years with 6 drivers' licenses each. Hmmmm registered in six states - - good federal coordination here !

I think USA should be divided into 4 smaller countries, or even 6 countries, then maybe the place would be possible to govern. Or else we leave things as the are, divided into 50 states but the Washington people will never be able to effeciently govern over the whole lot. Coordinating data over such a large territory is mind boggling. People do terrible things then go live in another state and start all over, no one knows anything. There has been a great struggle to get a national list of sex offenders . . I think now there is a MAP on the internet of where they live all over USA. Some people though on this map are young kids who mistakenly sent a nude pic over the cell phone and got caught and labeled a sex offender. Too much here I feel . .

Tempus Floridum girls are lovely but today they got me pissed off, some never come to rehearsal on a regular basis, others don't study either voice or the scores, some talk constantly and are distracted and distract others, a couple are always telling me and others what to do. They do all tell me of their miserable schedules. I find most of the girls always tired and anxious and often ill, too bad, they all have great talent. We are finishing a cd this month, we need a lot of prayers.
UPDATE on this state of affairs _ _ yesterday's rehearsal (june 15th) was perfect, some extra kids came and everyone paid attention and sang well. So here too, I need to get pissed off more often.

Catholicism - don't start me on this topic! All my students under age 13 are stuck in Catechism every wednesday all afternoon for years and years, skipping all their other classes. They don't like to go; parents, wake up, they won't go to hell if they do fewer years of catechism. They're lovely kids. One mother said to me "can't do catechism on a sunday morning because the families go away to country homes on the weekends". This is a spoiled society or maybe they just can't stand living in Florence all the time !

O by the way. . . I live in Florence Italy, been here for 40 years and I am still considered a foreigner. And my blood is half Italian - - but southern Italian, maybe that doesn't count up here. In Italy kids have THREE months of summer vacation . . I teach thru july usually, and pick up end of september.

Florence Italy: a beautiful place to be sure . . inside the historical buildings and museums, things are really beautiful beyond belief - - BBB - - and performing music in certain places, often closed to the public otherwise, can be an experience you'll never forget; but the traffic and the air pollution, what have we to say about this? Bus tickets are too expensive and the buses are often on strike. The Bus website is so complicated - - terrible site. So is the train site, the Italian mind is too complicated, maybe everyone hopes that others will consider them some great genius intellectual or else maybe they just don't want to be understood by anyone !