Monday (June 12) began my summer schedule, which I love. I teach Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the mornings, take a two hour break and then teach from around 2:00pm-until 6:30pm. My first three days of the business week are long, but it gives me Thursdays and Fridays off to write, run errands, or possibly do some long weekend visits to Indiana.

I have gotten to see several former students who are not in college or now in the career field. I saw Geoff Merl at his sister’s (Amy – currently a student) dance recital on June 4th. Geoff was a saxophonist, pianist, vocalist who participated in Muse Machine productions, Centerville High School productions and the CHS Marching Band for which he served as drum-major. Geoff, now around 24, will be married this August.

Laura Whetherford, 27, called and stopped by. Laura had been a seven year student and is now performing in professional theatre and film in California.

Through Fairmont HS concerts, musicals or graduation receptions I have been running in to several favorites from the past: Jeremy Moore, JR Reichard, and John Gentry.

This week I had a new student, Alan. I saw Alan in his school’s production of Joseph & The Amazing technically Dreamcoat. Alan also has a very distant connection to another student which we found amazing! Alan’s voice is beautiful and I am looking forward to working with him.

The Muse Machine is doing Thoroughly Modern Millie and a good number of my recent graduates are very disappointed that they will not be able to be in this particular production. Naturally, these are my belters and tappers! Grrr…

I have one student going through a rough time, right now, and he is simply not using his head. He began dating a girl of whom many of his friends – really decent students – disapproved strongly. This young lady is sneaky, manipulative and a little aggressive in areas that a teenager should not be. When I met her last December I was not impressed at all as she seemed to drain/eliminate my student of energy and his generally great personality. I would see them together and he would always look depressed and unhappy; yet, away from her, he was bubbly and exciting. My first impression was not particularly good as the girlfriend indicated she wished to study with me and began trashing her current voice teacher – a lady I know and respect. The other day I ran into the fellow voice teacher and we had a nice discussion regarding this student. Naturally, I would not take her on as a student.

I got to work with him and his leading lady in a rehearsal prior to their production and during a time when my student and his girlfriend were broken up. I saw the true potential in this student as he became good friends with his leading lady. This was so refreshing as I truly had not seen this side of him – HAPPY!

Unfortunately he has gotten back with the girlfriend and it his personality has turned back to sullen, sneaky and dishonest – a mirror image of the girlfriend. My student cannot see what tons of adults and his loving, concerned friends all see. The young lady is bad news, yet portrays a sweet, innocent type – but too many have her number.

I went through something like this with my eldest son in the winter. In December he began dating/seeing this girl who was also adopted. One day, my son deliberately lied to me about where he was going and he went to spend time with her. He knew he had made the worst possible choice when I naturally had things figured out before he returned home. I suggested she and her parents, my son and I all meet for coffee and he began hedging. My son’s girlfriend had not told her parents she was seeing my son and was sneaking around as well. I learned through students, neighbors of this girl that her parents were extremely controlling and probably not likely to get on well with me for a number of reasons. I instructed my son that they could see one another during school hours only until she was honest with her parents about their dating scenario. My son encouraged her to be honest with her parents and she refused. Eventually, to my relief, they broke up.

This is such a difficult age for young adults – they are on the brink of being adults, but they are just not emotionally and mentally mature. They are so close some times, yet, so very far away. It is amazing what love (hormones in disguise) do to level headed individuals!

This coming weekend I have a number of graduation receptions to attend and I am looking forward to sharing some time with students, recent grads, parents I won’t see as often and former students returning from college. What an exciting, yet bittersweet time.