Today was the first day I have had to cancel teaching music lessons for this year. Normally I would cancel a lesson due to illness or other events that I had been booked for, but today would have to be unique (and I can be sure that this won’t be the last time either!)
Having taken up some tuition work in Bellingen, there is a new front that I need to take on. No, it’s not other tutors or lack of music productivity, or the lack of musical interest (which all happen to be the complete opposite in this town). It can treat me kindly, or it can quite literally wash away plans I had in mind.
The weather.
With the bushfires in Victoria and the floods in Queensland, I guess NSW had to get caught somewhere in the middle and receive a dose of both. In either circumstance, it is rather unfortunate to be caught up amongst it all. A friend of mine is currently completing his first internship out at Bourke, and he certainly experienced the floods out there with rainfall being greater than what it had been in about 120 years. Thankfully his house wasn’t one of the several to go under water, with only the driveway becoming flooded. From what I gathered after speaking with him on the phone, the floods sound fairly minor compared with his current teaching experiences.
The mid-north coast has been one of the areas hit by heavy rain. Normally gauge the damage done by looking outside, and then finding out if Bellingen is still afloat either on the radio or by the internet. After waking up at 6:30 this morning, getting showered and dressed, hair done up and invoices completed for the students, I was all set before 7:00. Come the hour and I receive a phone call from the high school music teacher. ‘Don’t bother coming in today, Peter. Otherwise you won’t be able to get out if you do,’ were her words as I suddenly flashed back to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory books. “Nobody ever comes in, and nobody ever comes out!” It wouldn’t be that bad being trapped out there in my opinion. To be surrounded by other artists in their different fields in the lush green environment out there, it would be bliss. Even driving out to Bellingen brings about a feeling of calm and relaxation being removed from the coastal hustle and bustle, and all of the marketing that takes place. The thoughts of being able to drive out there were dashed by 7:45 as the RTA website announced that Bellingen was inaccessible. The only way I could get to Bellingen now would be by glass elevator.
So with no teaching work today and my wife attending a meeting down south tonight, it looks like I’ll be doing some prep work for my students. Apart from organising students for exams I’m getting figuring out what books and pieces of music they will need. For a young one I’m teaching in Coffs, I need to find the Spiderman theme from the old television series. I don’t think I’ll find a copy of the music, so I might have to do a transcription from the opening of an episode (and I found it too!).
By the end of tonight, I am going to be sick of Spiderman. But it’ll be worth it.
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