My final semester as a professor was more relaxed. Most of my students were in good shape to pass their practical exams. I let them get to know me a little better and had a few beers with them here and there.
I stuck around for the graduation ceremony this time, so I'd get to see one, and in a sense it would serve as my own graduation from this three year stage of life. I borrowed academic regalia from my friend the Assistant to the Dean, and took the opportunity to say goodbye to some of my professor colleagues. Most of my students would go on to teach in the public school system, heads of music etc, earning good salaries. I''d done a good job with them.
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| Two Graduates 2005 |
I was happy and more than a little relieved to be at the end of my viola teaching career. The skills I'd honed would come in useful, transferring to other fields in which I would teach: video editing, scuba diving and underwater video. For the time being I'd keep going with the playing career, having kept up my presence in various groups in New York.
Open Road
I was now thirty-seven, and felt like a good moment in time to start crossing over to something completely new. Youtube had just appeared on the scene. Facebook was now a thing. Video camera technology had recently stepped up to High Definition. It was an exciting time to be doing something as boring as reading a three volume manual on non-linear digital video editing, but I was nearly finished with it and already had a good handle on the software. Mac computers came loaded with music-loop software called Garageband, which was actually very professional and could be used to make soundtracks for commercial videos. You could even record and add live instruments.
I put all the clown paintings and scary knick knacks back in their correct positions, more or less, finished packing and went over to Heather and Adam's house to celebrate. A couple of the guys thought we should take a slab of beer and a couple of canoes and run a section of the Raquette River. The adventure had a bit of a 'Deliverance' feel to it, complete with an inbred guy on the riverbank offering me a hit off his weed pipe. Strong stuff for any seasoned smoker.
We made our way down some light rapids, portaging around one steep section. Eventually, after making our way through the beer supply, we cruised with the flow into the flat section of the river where I began yelling advice at the graduating students sitting on the riverbank.
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| Chuck, emptied out in Manhattan again |
The following day I sold my studded snow tires to one of Adam Wheeler's friends then went home and packed up Chuck the Chevy and made the journey for the last time, south to Manhattan.
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| Central Park |