This is a continuation of the Blog Series entitled "A Day in the Life of a Lodge Chief."  Today, we look at Tuesday!

I begin my Tuesday mornings at 5:25am, following the same schedule as Monday mornings.  I’ll grab a quick bite to eat, then be ready to practice by 6:00am, give or take a few minutes.  Tuesday’s are the days that I practice the least amount of time, usually around three hours.  I will finish up with my practice session at around 7:00am or so, then chat a bit with my fellow music majors that arrive early, while also looking a bit at emails from the evening. 

At 8:00am, I have a Choral/Instrumental Conducting class.  This is our advanced conducting class, where we have the opportunity to conduct our University performing ensembles.  I then move to Secondary Choral Methods at 9:00am, where we specifically focus on Middle School and High School Choral teaching.  I was able to do five hours of practicum at Simle Middle School, and currently scheduled to complete five hours of Practicum at Legacy High School in Bismarck, ND!  At 10:00am, I have a class named Brass Pedagogy, where we study how to properly play and teach brass instruments, such as the trumpet, trombone, and tuba.  We have a ton of fun playing fifth grade level music!  I sometimes have choir at 11:00am, but we normally use that time for sectionals with our women’s section.  I will use this time, if I don’t have choir, to warm-up for my oboe lesson!

At noon each Tuesday, I have an hour-long private oboe lesson, where I focus on techniques and solo repertoire.  I am currently working on three solos for a Junior Recital, tentatively scheduled for February 12, 2016!  At 1:00pm, I have time for lunch/dinner, which I normally eat at my apartment, something small, like a sandwich.  At 2:00pm, I have a rehearsal with our Oboe Ensemble, where we look at small group music!  3:00pm is set aside for oboe reed making, where my teacher spends an hour with us showing the proper way of making oboe reeds!  I have made my own reeds for three years, and sell them to students in High School in the state of North Dakota! 

If you think I had a break at 4:00pm, think again ;)  I have a rehearsal in town, for the Bismarck/Mandan Youth Symphony Orchestra, starting at 4:45, running until 6:00pm.  After that, I do have a class, entitled Learners with Exceptional Needs, beginning at 6:30pm, running until 9:30pm.  Some Tuesday evenings, I will miss part of class to play oboe/English horn with the Bismarck/Mandan Symphony Orchestra!  It is a great experience for me, to be able to perform next to my teachers and community members!  We play professional level music, it is such a fun experience!

I usually finish up with rehearsal and/or my class at roughly the same time, and make my way back to our music department.  It is usually 9:45pm.  I will then practice a bit more, normally a half hour to an hour, then work on some homework!  I will check my email again right before doing homework, then make my way back to my apartment!  I’ll grab a quick bite to eat, then head to bed, normally at around 11:45pm or 12:00am.  Tuesdays are quite busy!

John Bisbee

2015 Pa-Hin Lodge Chief