For the past month, I've been feeling sad... I made the decision to leave my "dream job" at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, Edmonton's beautiful concert hall.
Being an usher there has been a fantastic experience overall. The Guest Services Team is a wonderful group of people of all ages and nationalities, but with a common love of music and serving others. 70 or so people that work together well, cheer each other on, and feel a sense of accomplishment at the conclusion of every concert, no matter how tired we get. And we do get tired, especially during the run of concerts in the Christmas season! O aching feet, O aching feet...
The patrons, especially those attending symphonies, are a diverse and interesting group, and I've enjoyed getting to know some of the "regulars" over the last 5 years. They've shared many insights about music and the human condition. What moves me especially is the spouse who brings their also aging loved one with memory or mobility issues to come and enjoy music that is particularly special to the pair. For them, I'm always willing to go the extra mile. It's not only the music that's inspired me on this job!
And the shows I've seen! Well, parts of them, at least... just in the past season, great classical music, newer symphonies (how I love to watch the musicians and try to figure out which sound is coming from where), comedy (like the Whose Line Is It? guys last month who had me laughing so hard I was crying), and so many other musicians and genres from all over the globe! Plus great Canadians like Celeigh Cardinal, Jim Cuddy, Natalie McMaster and her amazing family, Johnny Reid, Jann Arden, and Fred Penner (yes, really -- that was a sweet concert for young adults who watched his TV show in their childhood to bring their little ones to see).
Music has always spoken to my spirit and lifted me up, and the joy it brings me counterbalances the challenges of my other "dream job." So my decision to leave Edmonton's magical concert hall weighed heavily on me for more reasons than I'll list here.
As I boarded the train to my final shift this week (a concert by the wonderful (!) Sierra Ferrell -- stay tuned for the next Monday Music Appreciation moodling), tears filled my eyes, and I thought, "oh boy, this is gonna be a rough shift if I'm already this emotional."
And sure enough, the tears continually prickled my eyes as I walked through the doors and said goodbye to Bernie, my favourite security guard, and Connie, who has been concierge since the Winspear opened in 1992, but I held it together pretty well while taking my show notes in the Guest Services office and taking a few selfies with my favourite colleagues.
I was doing okay until Leanne, one of our managers, came up to me, gave me a big hug and asked, "Why are you leaving us?" When I explained that two dream jobs were just one too many, she said, "I know you're doing important work at your other job, so let's just lighten your load here. How about working one shift every month or two?"
That's when the floodgates opened, happy tears for a change. I'm not sure how much I'll be around the Winspear in the future (I did purchase a subscription to some of next year's shows), but knowing that I can do a few shifts here and there and still work with friends on a less intense basis -- well, let's just say I'm overjoyed!
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