Goodness, it’s been an exciting time.  With the end of the concert season and the beginning of the conference season, it’s hard to know which way is up.

First, let me greet all of you who are new to the Circle of Scholars, especially the wonderful folks I met at the Catholic Homeschooling Conference in St. Louis and at the  Midwest Conference in Cincinnati.  Talk about contrasting events—one so peaceful, under towering trees at the Cardinal Rigali Center, and the other in a place as bustling as its name: the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati!

In both cities, we visited with terrific families, all dedicated to their children’s education.  And, gratefully, those families are eager to incorporate the Fine Arts.  They know that the study of music, art, architecture, dance, and drama bring a deeper appreciation of life and an increased perspective.  And they also realize that the study of the Arts is a powerful tool in academic success.

Bottom line: I continue to learn so much from all of you.  Never could I have imagined how far Discovering Music would expand in less than a year! The course is now in 37 States, and that’s due in large part to all of you, telling your friends and colleagues about it.

Now, for some news.  We’re refashioning our website www.professorcarol.com.  Take a look at our new photo gallery, featuring many of the musicians and specialists you have met in Discovering Music. In many cases, you can explore their web sites or watch YouTube clips of their performances.  More will follow.  We’re preparing material for the rising number of co-ops interested in implementing Discovering Music. And we’d like to set up forums for students to post their work.

Some of you have asked about our baby goats.  We gave the does a year off, knowing how much I’d be traveling at kidding season (no kidding!).  But we do have calves due in June.  We’ll get some photos up when those big babies get here.

I send my best to all of the students working hard to finish the school year, and my congratulations to everyone who has helped them do it.  Kuddos to you making the endless car-trips to participate in math, science, and debate competitions, music and dance lessons, and all of the fascinating field trips and lectures you attend!  Students, make sure you thank the moms, dads, grandparents, and older siblings, who wait patiently while you learn and grow.

Meanwhile, I’ll be out in California soon, for the CHEA conference in Santa Clara and for several special events with Discovering Music students and families.  Here’s the conference Schedule for Discovering Music in 2010.

What about August?  August will take us to Weimar, Germany, our second home and base as we shoot more footage for Discovering Music.

We’ll have more to share in our next report.  Meanwhile, best wishes as we continue Discovering Music.