Thanksgiving

So here I sit...in my dorm (still amusing to say out loud) drinking a cup of coffee on this very frosty, snow dusted Thanksgiving day thinking about how this is the first Thanksgiving in my 32 years on this earth that I haven't been with family.  Wow!  I am constantly reminded of how important family and friends are in my life.  I don't want people to think that I am completely alone and feeling down in the dumps, that's not it all.  The isolation of my situation just often puts me face to face with reflection and in so many ways that has been a blessing and something I am thankful for.  

Being thankful, what does that really mean?  I am not sure I would have fully understood what that meant a year or two ago but through adversity and hardship I have gained insight on thanksgiving, not just the holiday, that has been necessary to my own personal growth.  In the past six months I have known or been an acquaintance of three people who have passed away or are struggling for their lives.  Through such troubling circumstances I am reminded that no matter what situation I am in I at least have the pleasure of walking this earth and enjoying what it has to offer.  My heart goes out to those families who have lost during the holidays and I hope that in some way, with time, they can find thanksgiving.  Sometimes with great loss comes great gain, it just doesn't happen overnight.  I know I am still learning what I am gaining by being in the northwoods of Maine.  I haven't found out yet but will if I can just remain patient.

To all of my family and friends who have supported me over the past year I want to say that I am thankful for each and every one of you.  I could never repay the debt I have accumulated but I know that none of you expect anything in return and that is how I know I am blessed.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to sharing Christmas with you.

D

Christmas Wish List

Christmas Wish List 2013

Very cool bandana from JCrew.  It is nice to see a more rustic vibe hitting the fashion world.

Stewart Victoria Plaid Tailored Flannel Shirt from Lands End.  I have never owned any of their shirts before and I really do like this plaid and all their other ones for that matter.  I hope they fit better than LL Bean and LL Bean Signature.  No offense to my new state's main store but their shirts haven't fit me that well.  

I have wanted to own a hat from Ebbets Field Flannels for some time.  I especially like the bold, straight-forward design of this San Francisco Seals hat.  I am honestly not sure as to what size I would need yet.

I live in Maine, I mean, I need to own more books by Stephen King.  The Shining...hopefully nobody tries to chop my dorm room door down with an ax this winter!

The 25th Anniversary Edition includes a great documentary on all of the issues the making of this album underwent.  This is one of those albums that is great from start to finish.

You know, it is not that I am a huge fan of Bach.  I really enjoy listening to artists of other genres perform "Classical Music."  They always lend what I believe to be a sense of what the songs might have actually sounded like.  Chris Thile however does have a degree in music composition, so that helps. 

These maps are wicked cool!  No need for a frame, they are great on their own!

D

My Dorm Room

Still need to hang a couple of pictures but feels pretty cozy.

All is well in the land of the Panda

I am very proud of this group of students.  When I took this job the school basically said, "how are you going to get kids to come to games."  I replied, "I am going to ask."  Voila!  They showed up.  It has been almost 20 years since Lee Academy had a pep band and now they have one again.  However, there is a reason pep bands don't play at soccer games.  Soccer games don't really have any breaks.  Oh well, it is just nice to get out and play!

D

They painted my face!

Panda pep band makes debut tomorrow!

Golden Age Thinking

Cary Grant at his finest for this hunting season!  I mean, what's not to love about this outfit.  Popped collar, knee high boots, canvas pants and jacket, fedora and double barrel!

Basically the same outfit as Mr. Grant, but more work wear inspired.  Love it, pipe and all!

This fella knows how to fish in style, enough said!

There is so much to love about each of these photos, from the nonchalant devil may care attitude of each to the "I dressed myself like I meant it this morning" fashions.  People used to get dressed to do anything and everything way back when and now you sort of look like a "fool" or a dandy when you do.  I mean, we've given a name to dressing well.  Not that I care, but defending your outfit choices gets old after a while.

Student:  "Why did you wear a suit and tie to school this morning Mr. Coffey, do you have a special meeting?"

Me:   "Nope, I just think this is how I should dress as a teacher."

Maybe I should stop holding on to this nagging sense of nostalgia that has its grip on me but, eh, why?  I love it!  I feel so much better about myself when I dress like a give a rat's in the morning.  I know it's not for everybody and that's fine, but for me, it's the bee's knees.  The men in the photos each share a sense of forgotten masculinity to me.  They are each true to themselves and the activity they are engaging in.

"Golden Age Thinking," the thought that life was better in a different era, is often dismissed as a flaw in the human psyche.  People say that those of us who think that way just can't seem to deal with the "painful present" (as quoted in one of my new favorite films Midnight in Paris).  I have many times been told that I have an "old soul" and have often thought that I was born in the wrong decade.  But truthfully, I like a lot of things about our modern era.  We have so many ways of connecting to other people (this for example) and learning new things (YouTube, eHow and the like) right at our fingertips that we should be thriving.  Problem is, at least in my opinion, we aren't using these great new innovations with a healthy mixture of good sense.  For me, "Golden Age Thinking" is positive when coupled with the benefits of living in a modern society.

In the end you have to be yourself and do what you do, but I would like to see us, as a society, take more pride in how we present ourselves to the world.  You put the best in, you get the best out.  Believe me, I could have gone on forever about the topic of dressing like you mean it.  I will spare you my ramblings.

D

La Guardia

So...here I sit at the Biergarten in LaGuardia delayed until 9:19.  At least they have a nice place to sit, but seriously $8 for a beer!  Can't wait to see everyone back home.

Homecoming

Coming home, it is somehow surreal.  I have only been away from Ohio for about two months but it seems like much longer, almost like I was never there at all (if that makes any sense).  I have been so busy with my new job and my growing personal life that I haven't really had much time to think about how much I miss everyone back home.  Today I received an email allowing me to check-in to my flight and it was a relief to know that in about 24 hours I will touch down in Cincinnati, my home.  While I don't miss Ohio, as a thing, I do miss what made Ohio special to me, my friends, family and the comforts of home.

So, what brings me home you might ask?  My best friend Steve and his lovely wife Caitlin's wedding!  Their journey down the altar has been a couple years in the making and I am so honored to be a part of their day and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  Steve and I have been friends for ten years and I will never forget the first time I met him.  I had just accepted my job teaching vocal music at Wayne Local Schools and found out I had an accompanist!  I was overjoyed at the news as I am not the finest piano player on the planet.  I gave him a call and we set up a time to meet at Chili's by the Mall at Fairfield Commons in beautiful Beavercreek, OH.  I was dressed in my usual manner and there sat a man in a Ricky Martin concert t-shirt. Despite our obvious fashion differences, his bold choice of tops that evening still makes me smile.  We talked about things from our favorite music to our backgrounds (very similar by the way).  I vaguely remember a conversation about a composer named Shostakovich that pretty much let me know we were kindred spirits (even though I hadn't heard his music Steve was impressed that I knew who he was).  Steve and I have had many adventures over the past ten years (gnome photography at Meijer with Jason, The Flaming Lips concert and fun times with a certain drummer in the sweetest apartment I have ever had) and even with the distance I look forward to many more.  You're the best and I thank you for all you have done for me!

Luckily I will also have some time to spend with my parents and my friend Barb.  These people are very special to me and while it isn't a lot of time it will be good to see them and talk to them face to face instead of through this computer screen or my trusty iPhone (makes it sound like it needs a name or something).  Ohio is where I was born and raised and I do feel as though a part of me will always remain there (hopefully that makes sense to everyone).  There is so much more I have left to figure out about myself and being here is giving me the time I need to do that.

D

Oh yeah...I just had two students accepted into the Bangor Symphony Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.  One of them is even the principal flute player, or should I say flautist?  Congrats girls!

Yesterday

It was a very good day!

Do what you love, where you love...

This past year has been a year with ups and downs, twists and turns, consonance and dissonance and despite all of the emotions and confusions I am truly doing what I love in the state I love.  Teaching music has saved my life; I know that seems like a dramatic statement, but it is true.  Without it and my students, all of them, good and not so good, I don't know where I'd be.  The institution of education is not perfect and neither am I but what it has given me over the years is pretty close.  My students, whether with Wayne Local Schools, the Dayton Boys Choir or Lee Academy, have shown me so much about teaching, learning, life and myself.  My students back home continue to amaze me and make me proud even though we are 1200 miles apart.  I am so blessed to have been a part of their lives.  Although Lee Academy has begun to show me more of its colors I desperately desire to assist in ushering in a new era here (hopefully I can stick out living in the dorms that long).  I have already witnessed that my students need to experience joy and I think, if they can stick with me and music, they will.  It is wonderful to watch all of our individual stories woven together to create each piece of music we perform.  The music I have performed with my students over the years may not have won medals and accolades but it sure was a unique experience that we all shared.  I really think the title of Carole King's album Tapestry accurately represents what music making is because songs are much like tapestries, each little piece getting woven together to create something beautiful, and hey, let's be honest, sometimes not so beautiful.  In the words of Hans Christian Andersen, "When words fail, music speaks."  I know I have been able to tell stories through music that I would otherwise have been unable to tell.  I hope my students can learn to look at music that way as well.

While I know I can't carve out an existence in my dorm room at Lee Academy forever I really want to make my mark on this school.  With every new day I gain more insight on Lee Academy and it's those pieces of information that make me want to try hard to give this school and its students what they need.  There is so much potential and the needs are many but if I can keep my head screwed on straight it will happen. I know I am here for a reason and I am excited to find out why.

D

P.S.  Just bear with me when I have my moments of doubt.  I am thankful for my support network back home and the one I am building here in Maine.

Photos from Acadia

Remember, mileage isn't everything.

Summit of Penobscot Mt. (actually it's a little beyond that)

For Kevin and Jason (on the summit of Penobscot Mt.)

View of Sargent Mt. from Penobscot Mt.

Sargent Pond

Fog rolling in from the west

No one was there to take it for me

Pretty sure that's Pemetic Mt. 

The Fog 

Nora

I swear Jordan Pond is down there

Cool Cairn

Would have been nice to have seen this before descending Sargent Mt. !

Acadia

What is it like to have one of America's most beautiful national parks in your back yard?  Well, it's simply indescribable.  Yesterday I had the pleasure of trekking two of Acadia National Park's nicest mountains, Penobscot and Sargent, and was reminded of why I moved to Maine in the first place.  Imagine, you come to the top of a bald mountain and no matter which way you turn you are struck with the most magnificent views imaginable.  To the northeast, Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mountain, to the southeast, the ocean, to the south, The Cranberry Islands and many other ponds, lakes and mountains all around.  Yes, my day of hiking was truly inspirational.

I made the two and a half hour drive to Acadia National Park thinking that it might rain and after deciding a trip to Roosevelt Campobello in New Brunswick, Canada might not be what I was looking for that day.  Arriving at around 12:30, a little later that I had hoped, I was excited to learn that my hike from Penobscot Mountain to Sargent Mountain would only take about 3 hours (ended up being about 5, but I made a few stops along the way).  I am not going to bore you with each little minute detail of the hike but here are some highlights.

As I made my way up to the Penobscot Mountain Trail I was excited to see my first rugged looking trail since Little Jackson Mountain in 2012 and I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.  A cool thing about this trail is how quickly you come above tree line.  Once out of the woods, so to speak, I was met with stunning views of Mt. Desert Island's finest scenery and the ever increasing realization that I had forgotten to put on sunscreen.  Of course, and thankfully so, the sun had decided to come out that day and I was hoping to meet someone on the trail who had a little sunscreen to spare.  One of the great things about hiking is that you meet some of the nicest people.  As luck would have it I did finally meet someone who had sunscreen, the kind that would make me look like I had fallen into a vat of the iconic zinc oxide that covered the noses of many sun bathers decades ago.  The kindness didn't stop there.  When I reached the summit of Penobscot Mountain I met a nice group of young people who were willing to take my picture standing by the summit sign.  At this point I was very hot and excited for the splashes I heard down the trail.

As I hiked back down into the trees I saw the reward for my efforts, Sargent Pond.  Wanting a quick dip I stripped down to my skivvies and my boys began to play hide and go seek.  Thank goodness the water went from cold to refreshing very quickly.  After my swim I made a quick lunch of beef jerky and trail mix, got dressed and began heading up Sargent Mountain.  The vistas at the peak of Sargent Mountain were as beautiful, if not more so, than those at Penobscot Mountain.  After spending some time taking in the views I decided to make a plan for my descent.  I had two options, the easy route or the more challenging, more interesting route.

I decided the more interesting route seemed like the best plan and started down the mountain.  The first part of the trail down was steep, rocky steps and was a little challenging on the knees, but overall not too bad.  It was the next leg that would prove a little trickier and where I would meet a very cool little girl.

The fog had been setting in all day and now was so thick you couldn't see Jordan Pond and the forest below.  The trickiest part of the trail was up ahead, iron ladders and bars on the cliffs and some narrow spots.  The fog gave sort of an otherworldliness to it all.  When I am hiking solo I usually take the safest course and with the fog setting in I wasn't sure about my visibility down the trail so I decided to turn back and take the easy Jordan Pond Trail out.  It was then I met Nora.  Only about 8 years old, Nora was tired from a long day hiking with her mother and grandfather and still had about 1.5 miles to go.  Now, under Ohio hiking circumstances, 1.5 miles is no problem, but not the case in Maine.  I asked the family if I could hang with them for a bit so I could finish the trail the way I had wanted and they said yes.  I was excited because the Jordan Cliffs seemed very cool and I wanted to check it out.  I stayed with the family for a bit watching 8 year old Nora climb down the iron ladders and bars, scared and slow.  Even though she was frightened she did all of it and I could see her confidence grow with each new conquered challenge.  When we got past all of the iron bars I decided I couldn't stay with them any longer so I thanked them and moved on.  It was cool to see Nora climb down the rocks.  Most other little girls, and little kids in general, weren't rock climbing on a Saturday and here she was facing her fears and accomplishing her goals one by one.  That was truly neat to see.  As I continued on I came across some other tricky spots that made me think of Nora and her courage and I thanked her for that.

I finally made my way off of the mountain and into the Acadia National Park of all places.  After picking up some mementos I headed to my car and changed into some clean clothes.  By this time I was very hungry and headed into Bar Harbor where I had haddock sandwich, some french fries and a cold Geary's Pale Ale. It was nice to cap off my day with some good food and a conversation with a guy who graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio with a degree in Anthropology who was now a lobster fisherman.  What a small world.

Like I mentioned earlier, this trip really reminded me of why I moved to Maine.  Being so close to the forest and the sea is a feeling that is hard to put into words.  While I may not be in Lee forever, I can guarantee you that it would take something or someone pretty special to pull me away.

D

Welcome to my blog!

Friends,

Moving to Maine has definitely been an experience.  Even though everything hasn't been rosy everything is going well.  I am all moved into my dorm/class room and getting all settled in for a very busy year.  I am teaching 2 guitar classes, a piano class, modern band (what I was doing at Waynesville for those of you know what that means), concert band and concert choir.  I am offering an extracurricular pep band and a pop a cappella group called Pandamonium (our mascot is the cute, cuddly panda bear that I would imagine would rip your face off if provoked).  Our musical is this fall and I will be serving as music director.  So far we are considering Shrek and Seussical.  It's a good thing we don't have marching band here or I am not sure how I would fit all of that in!

I have already made connections with some local band directors and music teachers and am very appreciative of the assistance they have given me, a God send!  The staff members at Lee Academy have all been very welcoming and willing to help.  It is nice to know that I will not be completely alone up here in the Maine Highlands.  However, with the 12-14 hour days I have been working it wouldn't really matter!  Although the hours have been long, I have learned a lot already and met some wonderful students from all over the globe.  Mixed in amongst the locals I have students from China, Serbia and Germany just to name a few.

Today, after giving me a wonderful demonstration of its sonic possibilities, a student gave me an ocarina he had bought back home in Taiwan.  It is amazing how, even despite our cultural differences, kids are pretty much kids.  The language barrier hasn't been too much of a problem so far and let's be honest, the students know more of my language than I know of theirs and that puts them way ahead of me.  I am as excited to learn from them as they are from me (well I keep telling myself they are excited to learn from me).

There is so much to write about and I don't want to put it all in one entry so I will go ahead and sign off for now.  Please subscribe to my blog and I will do my best to keep it updated with tales both true and tall from my experience in the Maine Highlands (just a name the department of tourism came up with for this area of the state).  For more information on Maine's 8 tourist regions please click here.  I look forwarded to communicating with you all through this blog.  Thank you for all of your support and love.

D