2 Days, 2 Job Interviews, 2 Job Offers, 1 Choice

In my 12 years at HHOTRMS I interviewed for three different jobs. The first was a .2 FTE job that I was seeking in addition to my .6 FTE job at HHOTRMS. I interviewed, but no offer came of it. The next was at Mid-County Junior High. I was looking to step up from my middle school job to one that included older and possibly more musically mature students. It was a leave replacement job which I am thankful I didn't get. The former band director who was on leave and was "never coming back" (everyone assured me), came back the next year. The third was at Next County Over High School. They were looking for a new band director, and I had just finished a very frustrating year at HHOTR. I interviewed, but no offer (nor even a rejection phone call) was forthcoming. (They eventually rejected me via a letter that didn't even acknowledge the fact that I had had an interview!).

12 years, 3 interviews, 0 offers. Fortunately I didn't really NEED any of those jobs as I already had my job at HHOTRMS.

This go around, I NEED a job. With the pink slip in hand from Dr. Jekyl at Anytown SD, the mortgage isn't getting paid unless I find something to keep myself busy next fall.

I mailed off applications for three different positions. One I knew I wanted, 2 that I wasn't so sure about. I was invited to interviews for one of the "not-so-sure-abouts" at Hot Cross Buns Elementary School as a general music teacher, and at the one I knew I wanted at Amazing Grace Academy as a band and choir director - right up my band-geek alley. The offer from HXB came in first (the very evening of the interview). Right away I started thinking about what I would do if I got both offers. If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have told you that I would take the AGA job, even if it paid less that the HXB job. But the more I started to think about the HXB offer, the less I was sure of AGA.

The AGA was a bit different from other education job interviews I had. Being a religious school, they jumped right into questions about my religious life. I stumbled through those questions, but really felt like I came to life when I started talking about music instead. After all of the religious stumbling, I wasn't sure whether I would be the preferred candidate or not. The head called me that evening with my second job offer in as many days. I was almost hoping that they would not extend an offer to save myself the trouble of making a choice.

After much consideration and soul searching, I ended up choosing the HXB elementary job. Of course, that makes the title of this blog a little strange. If I still call myself "King of the Band Geeks," I will be the king in exile. Will I return to reign again? I don't know. Perhaps the concert I conducted earlier this month really will be my last as a band director. Either way, I am very excited about this new opportunity to teach future band geeks to love music.