Sulemani, day 1

Today was the last relaxed day before the academy goes full swing tomorrow. A lot of sitting around waiting. The theater/dance facilities and music facilities are in separate buildings, and the dance teachers spent most of the day checking out their spot. Late in the afternoon, we musicians got to see where we'll be working.

As far as I can tell, the place is mostly a movie house. There was a show going on when we came in (a security guard aplogetically patted us down) but we wandered around the somewhat dingy building to see the other rooms. Not exactly A-1 facilities but I've seen worse in China. One room was filled with orange and green pastel furniture which might have looked trendy in a college dorm room but seemed a little sad and out of place in the employees lounge of a movie theater. I apparently will have a little office when I'm not actually conducting larger ensembles.

Believe it or not, it still isn't clear to me what, or who, I will be actually teaching tomorrow. All I know is that so far I haven't felt qualified to do ANYTHING that anyone has asked me to do. Teach trombones? Sure, but I won't be much help with the positions. Clarinet? Ditto, for the fingerings. Conduct a string orchestra? Sure, but I'm not going to be teaching string techniques. The only thing that I gave an unqualified "NO" to was teaching the jazz band. I can fake many things, but jazz isn't one of them.

A tasty meal of roast lamb and various kinds of hommus this evening. Tomorrow is the first day of teaching, hopefully I will be able to rest well.