The joy of working in several different schools is that you experience different school cultures, environments, collect new ideas, meet so many lovely people.

But at this time of year I take a rather different view;

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the end of term Christmas celebration one of the keyboard ensembles I teach on Saturday mornings. Making sure that the child who started last week is a bit of a challenge, especially as it was her first ever lesson on any kind of keyboard.

This weekend I also need to make sure that I can play the accompaniments for the first school carol concert I am involved with. That’s just a little matter of “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Jolly Holly” – both are straightforward piano parts without too much cleverness, and no dangerously confusing repeats, dal segnos, “to Coda” marks and rapid pages turns forwards and backwards. Phew. Just so long as I can get my fingers round them by Monday night.

Then I turn my attention to a number of “Out of the Ark” Christmas songs – they are the ones where I frequently lose my way – plus there is an key change for the last verse on the backing track of “No Room at the Inn” which isn’t in the book. I might get it learned in time…or I might not…  This is for the next school. The choir is singing to Retirement Village on Thursday afternoon, so as well as their children’s songs there will be some traditional carols as well. I’m told that there is a piano… I’ll take my mp3 player and amp in the car, just in case.

That morning I will have run the end-of-term recorder assembly at yet another school, where year 3 demonstrate what they have achieved after a mere nine lessons (G, A, B, and C without too much squeaking).

Before then, I will have been teaching the carols for – yes, another school’s end of term church service….

Is that all of them? Possibly… I live in fear of forgetting something important. At least this term I am not accompanying any music exams!