All posts by hannahviolin

I am a violinist. I also enjoy running, working out, reading, and hanging with my friends and cat.
Goals

Groundhog Month

Well, we made it through January, the longest month ever.

It was a whirlwind of activity. I don’t know quite how I made it through, and honestly, if I can make it through this week and to next weekend, life should get much easier. I know people always say that, but it really is true for me, things really will be a little easier. (HAHAHA!)

I’m well into week two of playing Funny Girl. It’s 8 shows a week on top of my regular teaching, and the hardest part is getting enough sleep, which I haven’t been doing. Yesterday was really helpful though, as both of my college students canceled on me so I ended up having about 5 hours off during the day, during which I caught up on emails and other paperwork and even had time for a nap and practicing. Thursday (that’s today) is my normal morning off so I slept in a bit and now I’m doing more emails and stuff. The admin load lately has been heavy, but mostly because of doing makeups for all the gigs and getting ready for the Music Club Federation Festival which requires sign ups by Valentine’s Day.

Sigh! So much work!

My set up in the pit.

My goals for January: I met some and I didn’t meet others. We did go to the neighborhood Film Club meeting and watched the film already for next month’s. I baked bread, and had lunch with some friends one day. We had wanted to do a hike but the weather was just so cold we decided not to. I have not been as active as I would like, but I have been eating better than in the past, so that’s good. I’ve been doing a lot of stretching and making sure to stand up often. I did some needlepoint one time but haven’t done any since then. Oh, and I have been tracking my books: I read over 20.

I did stay up on my flossing and DuoLingo. In fact, we are planning a trip this summer to Sweden and Finland now, so I decided to sideline my Norwegian learning and start learning some Swedish first, which is similar but different. I have no ideas of being fluent, but I would love to be able to read some things and have a better sense of the world around me while we are there. And yes, I really want this trip to happen, though it seems far away (August) and lots can happen between now and then.

I also did some longer range planning for the year besides what I just mentioned: we blocked off a vacation in May as well and made plans to meet up with my parents halfway between our homes over Spring Break. Louie and I both work hard, many hours, and while it’s tempting in the music world to never take vacations (actually somewhat frowned upon by some!) the beauty of being a teacher/self employed is the ability to take breaks. And if you don’t block them off, those dates will get filled in (I actually messed up a little over Spring Break and should have reserved more time than I did, but lesson learned for the future: plan ahead more).

February goals: more social activities (we may be able to have a small dinner party), two lunches with friends, at least one hike with Louie somewhere local, maybe even two to make up for it, bake for Sally’s Baking Challenge (even though this month looks tough..), exercise more than this month, and keep staying on top of things (I have managed…for the most part). I would also love to make some marmalade, and I’ve made plans for these things in the calendar this month. I realize I am mostly focusing on the fun goals and not any of the house goals, but I also think that is okay: it’s a short month, and though life will be slightly less busy, who am I kidding. But inside projects are a good idea either way, as February weather can be unpredictable (with the idea of getting a hike in, as the weather currently is terrific for hiking, so maybe it’ll stay that way.)

I also want to continue working on my positive attitude and focusing on having an abundance rather than a scarcity mindset. I’m not sure if I mentioned that before, but I keep reminding myself: I truly have everything that I need, and if I keep reminding myself of that, it helps keep feelings of envy and FOMO at bay–if I focus on the positive and what I have, rather than what I don’t have, it is SO much better!

So there you have it. A new month, new me (just kidding, always the same me) and of course, cats..

Weather

January is the worst

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There was a blurb in the NY Times newsletter about how talking about how terrible January is can help us deal with it. I will say, yes, it’s terrible, it’s cold, it’s really cold, it’s dark, the holiday season is behind us and it’s horribly busy!

It wasn’t always this way. Well, it was always cold. But the busy! It’s been a very musically satisfying January, with all my concerts (including reading some late Beethoven and then performing it right away, what a thrill!). And our radiators are working great keeping the house warm enough (just a few drafty windows.) I was smart last year and finally bought a really warm and long coat so that’s been wonderful. And the car I usually drive places has seat heaters. There are many things to be thankful for!

I had my first colonoscopy on Tuesday: it went just fine. The prep wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t awful either, and then I spent Tuesday just lying around relaxing. Much like Miles in the above picture, except I don’t like to lie ON radiators but instead on soft things covered by blankets. I also took advantage of being home all day to make a loaf of whole wheat bread.

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I made this loaf as part of Sally’s Baking Addiction Baking Challenge. My Mom bakes (or at least, used to bake, do you still bake bread, Mom?) whole wheat bread six loaves at a time and this was a big part of our childhood. I never really got into it at home, so it was fun to make my own loaf. She has this giant bread mixer machine thing–it’s not actually a machine but is hand cranked. Similar to this I think (or maybe that’s what it is). In any case this bread has been great for hearty sandwiches, which I had to pack for my dinner the past two nights anyway.

Today is a more relaxing day: the week was busy, but really it was just three days since I had my prep and procedure the first two days. But it packed in a lot, and I am tired! I have some lessons to teach and laundry to do, but otherwise we plan to go out to dinner and who knows. I had wanted to go for a hike today, but the weather is currently in the single digits, so I think I won’t get a January hike in.

How is your January going? Are you staying warm? (or do I have readers on the other side of the world, where perhaps it is hot?)

Deep Thoughts

On being busy

Everybody says that they are busy, and everybody says that we shouldn’t talk about how busy we are because being busy is bad.

Of course, everybody doesn’t say both of those things, but as a freelance musician and teacher, the way the conversation goes is this:

“How are you?”

“Busy!”

“That’s good!”

I’ve had this conversation (is it a conversation if it’s just three sentences?) with many people over the years. And while it doesn’t allow for much nuance, the idea is: busy equals working, which as a musician is good.

One thing I have been struggling with is how MUCH I need to work. On the one hand, I enjoy what I do: I like playing concerts, I like teaching students (not every day, but I do enjoy working with them overall), I like seeing my colleagues at various rehearsals and working together, and I love music. So when I see a free space on my calendar and somebody asks about something, or when somebody asks about something that sounds super fun, I will make it work. At the expense of, I suppose, everything else.

Many of the podcasts and books for women are how to balance work and life, with work being work and life being family/children. What if you are trying to balance work and life, with life being friends and your partner and whatever ELSE it is that you want to do other than work, because you don’t have children? This is something that people used to talk about, when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s, but I feel like nobody talks about it anymore. It’s assumed, in our culture, that all women in their 40’s have children to balance around, and it is also assumed that any who don’t have children have this freedom to their lives to do whatever they like, whenever they like. And I do know some people who do tend towards the latter, but I’m sure there are other people out there like me?

So, what does a 40-something do when they have to work very long hours to make their career work the way they want it to, but they also want to have a good relationship with their partner, their family and friends? It’s hard to fit it all in, even without children! (And yes, I know how people with children do it: as the lower earner in my household I would be the one cutting out work.)

January and February are traditionally my less busy months, but as I’ve mentioned here, that isn’t the case for this year. It’s a variety of things, but mainly because I took on four different chamber music concerts, two candlelight concerts (a new addition) and a two week run of a show at the Fox theatre, doubling on violin and viola…doing all that with teaching is a bit busy. If you are asking, how do I make it work, the answer is, extreme calendar organization, panic, and years of experience. The good news is, two of the concerts are today which will lighten the load a little bit. And then I have three days off (well, one day off, one day doing colonoscopy prep, and one day having and recovering from the procedure.) I should get some good reading in!

Random thoughts

Snow, but not much

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We got some snow last night!

This was the view from my bedroom window when I woke up. You can see there is a little snow, just enough make it look really wintry.

Louie is finishing up his “J Term” class this weekend. He’s been teaching every day since December 27, and tomorrow is the final exam. That means I’m just hanging around the house today: it’s cold and snowy, so why go anywhere? So far I’ve taken down the majority of Christmas decorations: I left up the trees as I’ll get his help with those (it’s a 2 person job) and the wreath outside and the window candles. Otherwise, ornaments, nutcrackers, and other random decor is in boxes and either down in the basement or awaiting that trip.

I do tend to get a few new items each year, but I also think next year I may have to get rid of a few things: there were definitely some decorations I chose not to put up this year, so I put those in a separate box…mostly…with the thought that when I decorate next year I will decide if I want to use them or maybe give them away. My Christmas decoration storage grows so much that I probably should try to pare down, especially if there are non-heirloom decorations I no longer like or plan to use.

In any case, tonight is my last Christmas concert, thus ending the season. That’s part of why I left up the outdoor lights: I want to see them one more time returning home from work, ha! Very festive of me.

I didn’t mention my Phoenix trip too much: I had a nice visit with my sister Leslie and her family. We went to the Zoo Lights, the Phoenix Symphony New Years’ Eve concert, the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, and some other random places. We had some good food: Thai and Mexican, in addition to some amazing home cooked meals, desserts, and drinks. It was great to see everybody and especially the kids, as they are STILL GROWING, so fast, I can’t believe it!

At the Train Park
Zoo Lights with Bison. I thought this one had a strange expression.

Anyway, it’s an exciting month ahead: this weekend I’m finishing un-decorating, maybe going to see a friend play a concert/show on Sunday evening, brunch with a friend, concert tonight. Louie is finishing up his class so I won’t see too much of him, but then he’ll have a week off before the semester starts. This coming week is back to teaching, but not college teaching yet. We are also doing a wine dinner at the Whittemore House, the neighborhood movie club (we watched Rustin last night in preparation) and I’m getting ready for two chamber music concerts on Saturday. One is free and open to the public, and the other is at a retirement community.

Then (perhaps a little TMI, but oh well)…it’s time to prep for my first colonoscopy! Yes, friends, I’m having my first colonoscopy the following week. I am…not excited, yet, it’s still a new experience, so it’s kind of interesting, I guess? I expect to have a really not terrific day, and then enjoy relaxing and eating normally the day after. Also consider this your PSA that you need to make sure you are getting your suggested preventative tests and such. I know there’s that other option for the test, but my doctor thought that the actual colonoscopy was better so that’s what I decided to do. Hopefully all is in order!

After that, there’s another chamber music concert, and then it’ll be time for two weeks of Funny Girl at the Fox Theatre. I’m doubling violin/viola and it’ll be a lot of fun, but exhausting. That will bring us into February, which is where I’ll stop telling you stuff right now. The spring looks to be busy (of course, I’m always busy) but full of a lot of fun and interesting activities. And I’m looking forward to seeing students again this coming week, so there’s that.

Random thoughts

Happy New Year!

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I’m a few days belated, but I’ve been out of town and just got back this afternoon. I hope this is a good year for you!

I have been catching up and getting ready to work tomorrow. I have early morning class and a rehearsal, easy enough day. I hadn’t played violin in nearly a week so I spent an hour or so practicing after unpacking from my trip and repacking my backpack for my class tomorrow.

I also am writing this because I learned that some people aren’t getting the RSS feed anymore. I did something and perhaps this will work, but otherwise, hmm. How do you read this blog and get updates? Comment and let me know!

Grand Ideas

Year in Review/Looking Ahead

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I’m sitting here in my office area (which is a long room with a couch and lots of windows) and it’s lightly snowing outside. Could this be any better?

I thought I’d do a quick year end recap and tell you some of my fun goals for next year. I got into some planning podcasts this year and one of the things they do is NOT make resolutions per se, but set goals instead, and goals are great!

2023 in review:

The big thing is we bought a new house and moved in! This took up a lot of the beginning of the year, and I couldn’t be happier with it. We closed in mid-January, and then spent some time fixing up the walls (lots of cracked plaster) and getting fresh paint everywhere. We also had the floors waxed (old floors, can’t be refinished). We got lots of rugs, some new couches and a few other furniture pieces, and then moved in in mid-March.

Work: It was a busy year for work. I ended the year with 10 students at Wash U, which is a record, and I had a full private student as well. I performed over 90 different concerts, weddings, funerals, or other events. I judged students for Illinois Solo and Ensemble and for the Missouri Music Club Federation Spring Festival. I worked with students at a Composer’s Camp over the summer. I played solos with two different orchestras, a guitar orchestra, and an ad hoc orchestra put together by a local composer. I really upped my viola skills and even performed as principal violist for a chamber orchestra concert.

Personal: I continued my duolingo streak (I’m learning Norwegian) and just finished 500 days. I flossed daily–this is a habit I didn’t get into until my 40’s and I finally accepted that I need to use those flossing sticks. I read a fair amount, and I started running again. I went to a lot of concerts and events, many with Louie, Jazz shows, Symphony Concerts, Opera Theater, things at Wash U, various performances my friends played on, shows at Joe’s Cafe, the Amazing Acrocats, Circus Flora, Ben Folds, and probably a few more. I hosted a cookie exchange party and we hosted an after concert party for a small chamber orchestra. We also hosted a graduation party and several small dinner gatherings, and we attended a variety of neighborhood events.

Travel: Louie and I took two big trips together: one a road trip to Colorado and New Mexico, and another a road trip to Chautauqua New York and then to Niagara Falls and other places in Ontario. We also visited Urbana for a weekend to see our friends Michael and Heather and see a variety of concerts at a Guitar Festival. We also had a lot of people travel to us! My sisters visited, my parents came a few times, Louie’s dad and brother visited for his graduation, and more! It was nice to use our new guest rooms and show off our house and our new neighborhood.

This is not to say that all of 2023 was good, because there were definitely some not great things that happened. Some lowlights included: Louie getting COVID over Thanksgiving, hurting my knee in May and having to do PT, having a squirrel infestation of sorts and having to deal with that. and of course some illnesses and such with people we know that I won’t go into on the blog.

So! Plans for 2024: I won’t tell you everything because some is more personal, but here’s some of the main points:

Work: Do a bit less. One thing I ran into was taking some jobs that had rehearsals that interfered with teaching, and then turning down other jobs for the same performance date that wouldn’t have had a rehearsal! So maybe I need to consider that other stuff may come up, but I should be more mindful of what I’m doing. I need to get out of the scarcity mindset: it’s so hard to do!

I also want to continue to stay organized and communicate well, stay on top of my schedule and my email inbox, and show up to work prepared.

Personal/Self: I want to keep up my duolingo and flossing, read even more books (I didn’t read as much as I felt like I did and I want to read ALL THE BOOKS)–sometimes that simply means put down the phone, pick up the kindle! I also want to make some marmalade and stay on top of my baking skills. I have the thought of getting back into needlepoint some as I have a few unfinished projects. I want to run or workout 3 times a week during the school year and 5 when school is out.

Relationships/Social: I made a separate category here. One thing I really want to strive for this year is doing more things with friends: making new friends and strengthening my current friendships. I want to attend the neighborhood Book Club when possible, and the same with the Film Club (but also with Louie!). I want to go on at least one hike a month with Louie (not sure what category this should actually be in) and host 6 small dinner parties. I want to have lunches/coffee with two friends a month (anybody reading this, reach out!). I feel like I ended up taking so many gigs just to see people, but there are other ways to see people as well!

Travel: We are brainstorming some summer travel ideas: though it may seem early for some, I am getting queries about summer dates (I have started using the word query in my own life, and I love it) and therefore need to block out some plans. We aren’t sure if Louie will have any work travel opportunities this summer but I think we can work around that anyway. We are looking at a trip to California to his family’s cabin, and maybe a road trip to Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Rocky Mountain, but we aren’t sure if this is the best year for that or waiting until the following.

House: there are a few larger projects we want to do and I’d like to tackle one of them this year: my closet needs an upgrade, the sunroom needs work, and we want to put a bathroom on the third floor. I think we can definitely do one of them. I also want to finish putting our existing paintings and framed pictures on the wall and figure out how to decorate the stairwell.

Do you make resolutions or lists of goals? How was your 2023? Are you glad to see it behind you or sad to say goodbye?