Anallergies and Friday Doggerel

At the University of the East, there is never a good day.
There are shades of badness; we are not making Ugly Ducklings into Swans (many of the students are physically beautiful), but a lot of the time we are making Fireworks into Swans, which is less of a natural progression and more of a challenge.
This isn't everyone, of course, but enough people to cause bouts of physical dread before each teaching day. For this reason I am glad I live far away, driving round the dreamy grey industrial North Circular each morning into a different world of  misunderstanding and agression, and back each night to my safe little box, through London's grimy and anonymous underpinnings and into my own anonymous suburb.

I have learned patience and to become a sponge for people's anger and frustration. This unrolls itself in music and lyrics and thankfully the kitchen of the new house is sorted-out enough to sit at the table with my guitar and recycle my own anger and frustration as it seeps out of the daily sponge into songs and songs and songs, with Whippersnapper clumping about on the piano keys next door as a feline accompaniment.
Dong
Dong
DONGGG!!!
Sometimes he frightens himself into an exhilarated state, going crosseyed and yowling like a banshee.

I am just about to go into the studios to listen to some students' recordings. I like this, to be able to help them to make good music and learn how to be confident with technology. I can understand why they want to reject book-learning and just do things.
The problem is that there are lots of people doing things, and the world of music is in a constant state of saturation until fashions move on and leave tiny chinks of opportunity. So I try to explain the power of knowledge, and why it is wise to stockpile ideas so you can think ahead of the obstacles that the various gatekeepers set up to prevent new blood from having access to their precious facilities and money. I'm not sure whether the students understand this until they leave.
That's the only reason I work in education- to give people power. Otherwise I would work in the industry and be rich and cynical, taking power from the creative people and converting it into numbers in my ever-swelling bank account!

I won't be able to have a mega-house concert birthday party this year but next year I think I will arrange a gig that night instead. This year will be about family (an music of course, as we all do something noisy, even Little Bruv who can squeeze a mean tune out of a metal teapot, having learned to play trumpet as a young chap).
This year has been a year of learning: from my kids, my ex-husband, students and friends, and will be celebrated as such.
Some touching things have happened- for Treacle (it's wonderful!), for Gina (at last stepping into the recognition she deserves, not only with The Raincoats but with other ventures too), for Claire and Nadya (two very exciting PHDs which I cannot wait to read!) and for lots of other people I know.

Friday Doggerel

Let's not whine
Bout two thousand and nine
A brand new year
Will soon be here.

Banish blues
And welcome yellows
And we'll all
Be cheerful fellows!

Sorry.