Category Archives: Teaching

Random thoughts, Teaching

It’s Pumpkin Spice Time

People get so angry about Pumpkin Spice. Or excited. Or both!

Anyway, I’m doing that thing where I’m entirely too busy for the whole month of September from here on. Remember me, back a few years ago during the pandemic, saying things like, oh, isn’t it so wonderful to have weekends free, I’ll never work so hard again, and then here I am.

I mean, granted, inflation hits hard. I haven’t gotten a raise at all in some jobs, and in others it definitely doesn’t cover inflation. I set my own rates for home teaching, so I have nobody to blame but myself. But my retirement savings also aren’t looking so good, and then just when I start feeling like I’m making a decent amount of money, I was seeing a teacher (somebody I don’t know, but follow on twitter as they are in the personal finance world) complaining about how little teachers make, like obscenely little, and then said they make $70,000 a year! Now, I know some teachers make less than that, but 70 grand a year is way above the median income and then I started doubting everything I’ve ever known about teacher salaries, and my own sense of what a good living is, and really, like I said, everything. I’m being slightly overdramatic of course, but still. I’m not telling you what I make, and like I recently said to Louie, I don’t even know what I make: I learn how much money I made when I file my taxes each year.

All those words to say: I’m happy to be busy this month because everything I’m doing is fun and things that I’ve chosen to do, but it’s also a little bit overwhelming looking at the calendar. It’s really just the next two weeks (not this one) and then it’ll be back to just normal busy and totally manageable. I’m back at it in my before school job, which simply means that I woke up very early to spend 50 minutes putting tapes on violins two days in a row, and will do the same tomorrow and Friday. I’m thrilled to be coaching a chamber music group at Wash U–I have been teaching there for 7 years but this is my first year doing a chamber music group, and our first rehearsal was really fun. And I played on a fun concert over the weekend.

I played with a group some friends started called the St Louis Chamber Soloists.
Miles on the catio. It’s out the back of our house.

Louie and I have a standing weekly lunch date, and we go somewhere on the Loop or nearby. Most recently we went to the Bahn Mi Shop. I highly recommend it, though I was afraid to eat the peppers.

Bahn Mi with Tofu and Lemongrass, yum. Not pictured, shrimp spring rolls, also yum.

I got my new COVID booster, very exciting! I wasn’t sure if I should wait longer, but I really wanted to just teach the students and not worry, so I went for it, as well as the flu vaccine.

I kind of want this sign for my home.

It’s been nice getting back into the swing of things. I’ve mentioned before I’m sure, the semester has a rhythm to it, and I am used to that rhythm. People who don’t work in the college/school system may not feel the seasons so strongly, but each one has a different feel. Fall is the new start, the fresh start, before you get too tired and run down from the cold. Yet it’s also the end of summer, so there’s a bit of sadness (hence the pumpkin spice love) but it’s nice to get back into a routine. We will push through until Thanksgiving, and by then we will be utterly exhausted. But not yet!

How is your week going? Have you had anything pumpkin spice flavored yet?

Random thoughts, Teaching

End of Summer

It’s a weird time for me: did my summer vacation end the day I went in for surgery or does it end tomorrow?

You should know: summer is my favorite. Not because of the heat, but because school is out, and my schedule is more flexible because my students have more flexible schedules. I also work less, which I really prefer not to do year round, and Louie is more flexible, and we get to travel and have adventures and also do nothing. It’s so wonderful.

And then it ends, and fall comes and everything gets busier and the students have soccer and musicals and we all get stressed.

Couldn’t get these guys to look at me.

But, let’s look back on the fun. It was a wonderful summer. We spent 2 1/2 weeks in Norway. We went to Austin for a few days. We visited my family in New York State for a few days. We had some lovely meals, wine dinners, dinner with friends, dinner out, dinner cooked at home. We had a Fireworks BBQ with friends. I read a lot of books. We watched some good tv shows. We slept in, we relaxed, we did some yard work (admittedly, I didn’t do much), we got rid of more stuff and gave it away to other people.

Work wise: I played a lot of concerts and an opera. I taught a bunch of students, some new just for the summer which was fun too. I didn’t play too many weddings, though I did play one on viola. I wrote quite a few sheet music reviews and some just came out in the journal.

And then my surgery, but it went well, I’m getting better (pain level 0-2). I’ll have a checkup this week to see how things are going. I would have preferred not ending the summer that way, but that’s how it worked out. At least I didn’t miss much work as I was planning a break from teaching anyway.

Louie made a french drain from the garage.

I have some cool stuff coming up in the fall: several fun chamber music concerts, some bigger ensemble concerts (orchestra, small orchestra), a show at the Fox (Ain’t Too Proud), playing for some visiting artists (The Who), and more. I’ll likely have a few new students at Wash U along with some awesome returning ones, as well as a couple new ones at home. I’ll have all new students in my before school job, and I still have two weeks before that starts. I may also take an improvisation course to continue building those skills, and I think I’ll be teaching two Creative Ability Development Classes each week. Yes, it’ll be a lot, but I should still have some time most days to do other things that I enjoy doing.

Roasted broccoli and baked tofu (why isn’t it roasted also?) over momofuku noodles Leslie gave me for my birthday.

Non work-wise: we have tickets for some symphony concerts, a paddle trip on the Mississippi, a likely trip over Thanksgiving just the two of us, visiting my family over Christmas, some random weekend trips, definitely some hiking when I am ready (which will ideally coincide with the cooler weather), and some fun with friends.

And hopefully fall will go well, and not be too stressful. Ha! I will try to focus on the positive rather than the negative and remind myself that each gig I took was for a reason 🙂

Teaching

Two in a row!

I slept in this morning. I didn’t set an alarm. I woke up a few times, but didn’t check the time for awhile. Finally I checked the time, and…it was 7:46 am. I suppose that’s sleeping in, but if there is one thing that makes me feel old, it’s my inability to sleep in!

When I was younger people always told me once I had kids I wouldn’t be able to sleep in as much. I first started waking up early more naturally after the election of 2016, the worry and stress woke me up. Then the worry and stress became a constant…it never went away, I never was able to sleep in again. I go to bed earlier as well, rarely seeing past midnight and often asleep before 11 pm. Once I got my morning job, I would find myself in bed before 10 pm, and felt like sleeping past 6 am was a decadent proposition.

So, here’s the thing about aging: you do it, regardless of whether or not you have kids. In my own personal experience, I wake up early, I can’t sleep like I used to, I pee often (another thing I was told would happen once I had kids).

Aging happens regardless, doesn’t it, and it sneaks up on you. The pandemic took so much of our time and energy that everything else fell apart, but as we rebuilt our lives after it (not that it is over, but that is no longer new) I realized that we had been aging, that somehow we felt middle-aged, and responsible, and that our parents were even older and that everything is changing and that life is going on in that inexorable march towards death. And that sounds very dark and all of that, but it’s just the truth, and it’s good to accept that, and to figure out, what are we doing with the time we are given?

This may be why so many people changed what they are doing in their lives, and why people change along the way. I often feel that my fellow musicians judge me for teaching as much as I do. It is a badge of honor to play poorly paid gigs and to struggle, whereas teaching means, yes, dealing with lots of children and working hard, but also making a decent and regular living, but without as much glory. The students, they don’t always listen, they don’t always do what you say, they often play out of tune!

I keep thinking I need to cut back on teaching, that I am doing too much, I don’t know. My Music Staff says I have 46 active students, but that’s not entirely true: 6 of them are starting this summer but 5 of them are quitting at the end of May or over the summer. It is probably too many, but this is the American way, to work too much, isn’t it? The stock market is crashing, we are heading towards fascism, my body is not my own, and somehow working more and more feels like something I can do, to cover unexpected medical bills, to save for a hoped upon one day retirement, to save for a new car and to pay for trip to Norway! And I hope that I make a positive influence on every student I see, that I make their day better, not worse, and that they find music lessons a source of solace.

Kitties sleeping with their feet together.

I played a wedding job yesterday on viola, and really enjoyed the challenge. I hope I can do more of that! I know I am HannahVIOLIN but the viola is a fun part of my musical life now as well…

Does this viola make my head look smaller?

I mentioned our little catio a few posts back: the cats absolutely love sitting out on it. We can open the inside window, or keep it closed with a little cat-door, so the cats can come and go as they please. Miles can be found on it late at night or early in the morning, as well as all day long.

With the inside window open.
The view of the catio from the back of the house.

It’s screened in so they can enjoy the breeze, and get the full view on the sides as well. They sit there and get to yell at birds and squirrels and such also.

One more day of my early morning class and then it’s summer break! I can’t believe we are hear, that we have made it to the last full week of school. Tomorrow I am meeting a former student for lunch as well, which is always fun. I love catching up with former students and hearing how they are doing!

Teaching

April Showers

I had to make a decision to cancel my studio’s outdoor recital today due to inclement weather. I do NOT like making decisions like this, but I think it was the right decision as it’s raining and supposed to storm later.

I was looking forward to everybody getting together and playing and hearing each other! But April is just too rainy, I guess…I had organized the date with some other teachers, and we had planned to rent a piano, and it just didn’t work. I guess May would be a better outdoor month. And it was under a pavilion, but really, wooden instruments and storms aren’t a good idea.

Anyway, so that means the day suddenly became free, but then due to a fellow musician’s household getting COVID, I have things to do. I was going to attend the Great Artists Series Concert tonight at Wash U…originally I had planned to give away my ticket, but then when I canceled the recital I was planning to go (we hadn’t given it to anyone yet), and now I am not going after all. A silly day, indeed.

We went to the symphony last night. I didn’t want to go beforehand because I was exhausted: it’s been a rough week for me, with having a medical procedure on Wednesday, taking some days off, ending up with a migraine as well (probably from the dehydration?) and then finally feeling a bit better…I am hopeful this week will be back to normal. In any case, the concert was lovely and wonderful and I’m glad we went: I missed going to concerts during the pandemic, and I’m happy to be back, even though I am surprised by how few wear masks in an enclosed space with so many people! Masks are now optional and it was interesting to see which musicians on stage were wearing masks or not, as well.

This week is the last week of classes at Wash U! I can’t believe how fast the semester has flown by. Of course, I say that NOW, in hindsight, there were definitely times it dragged, or at least felt longer. I’ll be teaching an extra week due to our delayed COVID start (the students were remote the first two weeks, and we could choose whether to teach 1 or 2 of those weeks remote: I chose 1). We had juries yesterday and my students who performed played well.

There are still several weeks left of Kirkwood and I teach at home basically until Norway, but I am getting things ready for summer. My summer lesson questionnaire goes out tomorrow and is due mid-May, and I’m trying to get all the travel set up. I have some time off in August that is still a wild card, and it’s okay not to have everything scheduled, but I’m looking forward to our travels, visiting family (perhaps more of that in August?) and having more time to relax and not getting up QUITE so early.

The cats hanging out together. They were fighting over who got to sit on the grey sweatshirt, but found a way to share briefly.

And yes: I’ll take some new catio pictures soon to share. They love it, though get angry if we are outside while they are stuck in it.

How is your weekend going? Did today’s rain spoil anything for you?

Random thoughts, Teaching

Crunch Time

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This is officially known as “crunch time” in our household. Louie got an email from his job about how “crunch time” was a small but natural part of the year and listed all sorts of ideas on how to maximize your time. In any case, we keep yelling “crunch time” at one another here and there…the issue is perhaps that crunch time seems to run from September to May, but particularly from after Spring Break (late March) to May.

My students: got their festival videos submitted. It was a slog this year, I felt. I’m not sure what I could have done to help more, but I felt like I had to remind people too many times. Oh well! And now there’s a recital in one week, which is great timing for those that just finished their recordings because they really know their stuff and should simply have fun, but for others seems fast after Spring Break.

I’m trying a new system for summer lesson signups, where they fill out a questionnaire with their summer availability and then I fill in the schedule afterwards. In theory this is a great idea, because I’m tired of teaching everyday in the summer all day with weird 30 to 60 minute gaps throughout the day, never enough time to actually do something useful, but enough teaching to feel like I worked all day for the equivalent of 3 to 4 hours pay. So I have a new plan, and hopefully it works out decently.

I worked through the weekend: two services on Good Friday, a lovely Passover dinner afterwards at Louie’s Mom’s house, teaching during the day on Saturday, attending a student recital at Wash U, and then a Saturday Night Easter Vigil (which was lovely, but very long), followed by an early morning wakeup call for three Easter services. I got home around 12:30 and spent the rest of the day wiped out. I even took a nap, which is unusual for me.

This week is stressful because I’ve got a thing on Wednesday for a medical procedure…I won’t go into details, but it’s nothing serious, just that you should make sure you get your annual exams so if there is anything wrong it can get fixed before it’s too late. I’m taking off work a bit, all of Wednesday, part of Thursday or all, Friday morning as well. I feel like it’ll somehow be a vacation which perhaps tells you how exhausted I am. It’s poor timing with the recital this weekend, but I don’t get to choose these things. I’m teaching a little extra today and tomorrow to make up for it, but also just missing some lessons. I built a makeup week into the schedule for the semester for reasons such as this.

I will say that changing up my teaching schedule to a monthly set fee has worked out well, but also been exhausting: I think I have ended up teaching more than ever! I do plan to continue, but in the fall I’m making each semester 1 week shorter, for my mental health. I’ve been feeling pretty run down lately: I am really looking forward to summer and taking some time for myself.

I haven’t even been taking any cat pictures lately! They are enjoying the catio (on the back porch, there’s a screened in place to hang out that they can access from inside, and not actually go outside, but be on a little cat porch) when the weather isn’t too cold, and they love when it’s nice enough to open the window entirely (I’ll try to get a picture of that next time it happens, maybe this week?).

The weather has been blah, overcast, chilly, rainy…I’m ready for warmer weather. I think that the weather is contributing to my general malaise, but it’s also just burnout and feeling underappreciated. Anyway! How is your week?

Teaching

Good Friday AND Passover

What a day it is! Happy Passover to my Jewish friends!

Louie’s mom invited us for Passover tonight, and we are going, but late…because it is also Good Friday and my quartet plays every Good Friday (or at least has for something like 5 years) at the Third Baptist Church in Midtown. They do a music/readings concert and it’s really nice. This year we are playing the third movement of the Smetana Quartet, a new commission by Sasha Johnson Manning named “O Sacred Head”, and then two Chaconnes: Purcell, and the famous one by Bach but arranged for String Quartet (which is a bit of !!!???##%$%#$# to me but is also fun, I guess.) We play at 7 pm if you are interested.

I’m not sure if it is livestreamed, I feel like I can never find any of this stuff out in advance anymore, and it’ll turn out that an event I played at was livestreamed, but that I didn’t know until after the fact. I suppose I could dedicate more time to finding these things out, but since I dedicated 2-3 hours to tracking down students this week and begging them for their festival videos, helping them upload them, watching them, etc, and that’s a normal week for me…but there is a livestream button and it’s worth trying at 7 pm Central if you are interested. It would also be available later IF it was, as the link goes to Facebook.

In any case, my school this morning was closed which meant that instead of getting up super early I got to sleep in a bit and then do a few different things this morning. I’m headed to my first Good Friday service soon, then some teaching, and then the aforementioned Good Friday concert later. Tomorrow is busier, with a class, recital, teaching, and a Saturday Vigil at a church in Illinois (which is just across the Mississippi River from us, can you believe it?). And then Easter Morning starts at 7 am for me, and I’m playing 3 services!

I know that many of my “I love having my weekends free” from the pandemic have been thrown under the bus lately, but do you know how expensive Norway is? Honestly, I’ve stuck with my main scheduling mantra of “turn stuff down that ruins my teaching schedule unless it’s super cool” and that has worked out really well. I had to move students today for our quartet concert, but that fit into “it’s really cool”. I have some lighter weekends ahead as well, and I’m also playing some weddings and such, but it’s nice to see colleagues. You always get used to what you are doing, whether it’s staying at home more, or running around doing a ton of things. The ebb and flow is part of finding balance, and as I tell myself, Holy Week is but once a year.

We went out for dinner last night at a place near our house, and the neighbor’s cat came out to be petted. On our way back, the cat was out front of our house and we said hello again, and then I realized Muriel was staring out the window judging us and looking angry. (No, I’m not anthropomorphizing, I know how she feels!) I felt bad then and hurried inside.

There are six weeks left of the school year. 5 depending on how you count, or 2-3 if you count the college schedule. Summer is almost here…