Last night was great…

Last night was great fun. It was music night here, which mostly seemed to mean that various talented people prepared music to perform. Which was lovely -- classical and other. But of course, I abandoned classical music decades ago, and have since trained in a slightly different tradition. So when I got up, it was to lead them in rounds. First the classic "Rose Rose Rose" which went over very well -- most people realized they knew at least the tune by partway through the first time through. (I taught them slightly different lyrics than those linked: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose, Shall I ever see thee wed? I will marry at thy will, Sire, At thy will." But there are very many variations.) Gorgeous.

Then I got a bit overambitious and tried to teach them The Creation of Ea, my favorite round, based on some lines by Ursula K. LeGuin. We were hampered in our efforts by a) my losing track of the tune periodically, and b) my not actually remembering where the break happens. So we never quite managed to sing it successfully, but we did all belt it out quite a few times and made a joyful noise, so that was good anyway, I think. And finally I sang them quickly the round with lyrics by Victor Hugo, "Be like a bird," which seems very writerly to me. And they liked that. :-)

I recently had my five advisees assigned for the coming semester, so I've started meeting with them and developing semester plans. Fun stuff. Should have a comprehensive reading guide for them for January by Wednesday, I think, along with some plans for their writing output that month. Four of the five are first-semester students and I'm having them read Stephen King's On Writing -- I think that's going to be a good introduction to the field. Educational and inspiring. And a couple are also reading LeGuin's Language of the Night. I hope I actually own these books; if not, it'll be a good excuse to go buy them.