Well, winter is apparently about to hit. Lots of Sioux City have closed for tomorrow which also means the rest of the holiday week. The current forecasts have us receiving between 0 and 10 inches of snow tomorrow with more on Wednesday. We are stocked up on provisions, blankets, movies, and books. With any luck, nothing will happen. Without any, I am looking forward to staying in the house for the next two days.
It was an eventful end of the week workday (Thanksgiving holiday starts on Wednesday and my workplace already announced it is closed tomorrow). I taught my music appreciation classes (Penderecki Threnody and Adams Short Right in a Fast Machine) to a half full class of very unenthusiastic students. I worked a bit on grading before I began piano lessons with a new student. She is an older student returning to the instrument after about 20 years. She remembered quite a bit of notation and how to play, so we worked on relaxing and dropping into the keys rather than hitting them. Her homework is to start working on a Barbara Arans piece and Bach's Minuet in G. I then practiced organ for an hour before choir rehearsal. After rehearsal, I got another hour of organ practice in before Chanters rehearsal and then came home to eat tacos. A well rounded day.
On the organ, I worked on arranging Mack Wilberg's Joy to the World from the orchestral reduction to an organ reduction. I think it works pretty well, and we tried it out with the choir. I also worked on the outer two movements of Wold's Wachet Auf Suite. I am trying to get them sped up for this weekends service. I am going to use all three movements for prelude, Offertory, and Postlude.
On the piano, I was able to spend some time on the Chopin Op. 10, No. 4. Trying to speed up the fingers on this. Slowly but surely. Looking forward to tomorrow as I have most of the day for practice and reflection.