I’m off to Kansas today for Suzuki Camp!  I am taking Teacher Training for Book 5 with Susan Kempter at Ottawa Mid-Southwest Institute.

Picture of the dorm last year.

What is Suzuki camp?  Well, firstly I should quickly answer the question, what is Suzuki?  The Suzuki Method is a way of teaching children (primarily) to play musical instruments.  The concept is that you learn your instrument the way you learn language—by starting early and hearing it all the time—and without pressure and with love.  That is how I learned the violin and that is how I primarily teach the violin.  I started at the age of five, and I listened to the music I was learning all the time.  Was there pressure?  Well, yes, but as you know I put pressure on myself all the time!  In ANY case I am not going into my childhood story here but simply giving you a little information as to what I am up to this week.

Here’s the link to the Suzuki Association’s page “What is the Suzuki Method?”

The camp part is the next part of the question.  Basically people come from all over and get together for the week for an intensive week of learning and camaraderie with other like minded people.  For me, it’s continuing education.  I am fully trained to teach the Suzuki method for all levels (there are 10 books), but I really wanted to take another class (here’s a link to last year) with Susan Kempter.  Taking courses makes me a better teacher (and frankly, a better person!).  I am really excited!

How many of you learned an instrument with the Suzuki Method?  How did it impact your life?

I woke up last night because of a giant thunderstorm/hailstorm.  The best part is:  today the high is 80.  EIGHTY!  (That’s really cold, in case you are confused.)

Yesterday I finished teaching all the students I was teaching while their teacher was on maternity leave.  It was sad to say goodbye.  I know I will see them all around at the school in the fall, but it’s not the same.  They were all great students, and great families too!

That’s part of why I am so excited to be teaching at my new job.  This is the first time I’m officially announcing this on the blog.  Starting in the fall I will only have one job away from the home—I will be teaching three days a week at the St Louis School of Music.  The other days I will be teaching out of my home (and am finally accepting new students again) and that is ALL the teaching I will be doing.  I will have time for gigs, working out, practicing, household errands, and wedding planning.  Oh, and mental health, of course.  This is the sort of place I can envision teaching at for some time.

Yesterday afternoon I saw “The Death of Klinghoffer” by John Adams, performed by the SLSO and Opera Theater St Louis.  It was great.  I’m not a huge opera fan–I get bored by singing…and it tends to go on and on…makes me think of this quote from “Sabrina”–

Linus Larrabee: And I want tickets to whatever Broadway show nobody can get tickets to.
[Mack looks inquisitively at him]
Linus Larrabee: I know, I seldom go to the theatre.
Mack: Seldom?
Linus Larrabee: So, I’m not a theatre buff.
Mack: Buff? The most difficult tickets to get will be for a Broadway musical.
Linus Larrabee: [distractedly] Okay.
Mack: That means that the performers will periodically dance about and burst into song.

But I am definitely glad I saw it.  The opera isn’t what you would typically think of for opera at all, though, and definitely covers difficult subject matter.  I recommend reading the Wikipedia article on it.  (Do you like when I give assignments?)  There was also a number in the second half where a woman sang and danced WHILE DRESSED IN AN 80’S COSTUME COMPLETE WITH PINK LEG WARMERS.  Wish I’d had that for my race.

from the riverfronttimes article about Klinghoffer

Here’s another interesting article about it.

Does the opera make me think twice about cruising?  No.

By the way, I am getting super excited about Suzuki camp—I leave a week from Sunday for Ottawa Mid-Southwest Suzuki Camp.  I’m doing Teaching Training on Book 5 with Susan Kempter—a true genius!

Also I love dorm living and cafeteria food.  😉

Last night was the end of year concert for my orchestra.  They did a fantastic job!  I had been frustrated with a few things relating to this concert, but it all turned out just fine. 

Afterwards we met up with some friends at Mango.  They were eating dinner but Chris and I cooked instead.  We had a lovely time chatting and having a drink.  I tried something called the “crackberry” which had strawberries, basil (I think?), and pepper in it and was delicious.  Mango is located right next to Chris’s first apartment here in St. Louis, a downtown loft.  It used to be where Mosaic was located and we had been there before.  Our friends said their dinners were fine but not fantastic.

Today I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm.  Part is the sun, part is that I have been going to bed really early, and part is the stress.  I think it’ll be better when my schools are done…I certainly know I am looking forward to that immensely!

This morning I am rehearsing the group at another school for a concert on Friday night.  I had the program chosen already but I found out yesterday that evidently the parents thought the violin portion was too long last time and we need to cut it down.  Don’t get me started on parents.  (I believe the violin portion was under 10 minutes).  I think I know what I’m cutting out and I hope the kids aren’t disappointed.  I suppose I’ll just tell them to blame their classmates’ parents!

Teach, gym, teach.  Wish me luck!

I was told in an email this morning I must have the patience of a SAINT.

I’ve often thought that patience was one of my strong suits in teaching.   However, the last two Mondays I’ve been truly challenged with my patience.  I have very high expectations for myself, and high expectations for the class, but sometimes I just get frustrated at the behavior.

Yesterday one of my students dropped his violin on the ground.  He had done this many times before.  This time the scroll broke off. 

That was first.

Then the kids acted shocked, like “how could this happen?”  I grew annoyed because I have told them 1000’s of times to be careful with their instruments because THEY COULD BREAK.  Here it finally happens and I guess they just didn’t believe me.

Then I got an email that annoyed me, one of those passive aggressive type emails that won’t answer your question or help you but instead blames somebody else…

I lost all of my patience.  In one of my classes one of the girls said, “I think Miss Frey needs a nap”.  I told them they just needed to play better, that I was annoyed because they sounded so much worse than last week.  Which was at least half-true—some of them don’t bother practicing the assignments–ever.

Sometimes I think it’s okay to be mad.  I spend a lot of time trying not to overreact to things as I am prone to do, and I spend a lot of time trying to keep my emotions under control.  But when is it okay to actually be mad?  Not at the kids, but at the adults?  I always try to be nice and pleasant and smiling, because generally that works well, but there are times when that doesn’t work.  And then I feel so helpless, so small, so insignificant. 

In any case, I was in a bad mood all day yesterday.  Until the end of the day.  One of my students is leaving soon (moving) and I’ve only taught him for a few months.  I was so touched when he told me he was sad to leave, that I was the best violin teacher he’d ever had, and that he would miss me.  I thought he hated his lessons, and so that REALLY made me feel good. 

I also know the kids from yesterday will be better for me on Wednesday since I was giving them a hard time.  I certainly hope they’ve practiced a bit more, but if nothing else, not talking while I’m talking would be a huge improvement.

I don’t have the patience of a saint.  I just fake it.