Today should have been a day off, but because I have been called for jury duty on Monday, I had to do a few make up lessons today. If I serve on a jury I hope the defendant appreciates that I am losing several hours of work (and hopefully no more, as I really can’t afford it!). Being self-employed can be tough. No sick days, no jury duty days, and when you finally get good health insurance with a little bit of financial help, they make you submit paperwork that doesn’t exist in order to prove your income…for the future…! I wish I knew the future, but instead I must live day by day and hope that my students continue showing up and paying and that I will continue to play weddings and other paying gigs.

I can’t explain that any better because I’m a little tired AND I’m pressed for time (arghh, blogging is SO HARD!) but anyways. Isn’t it fun teaching out of new books or teaching new songs you haven’t taught before? I had a student request “Spring” from the Four Seasons, so I’ve been working on that a little bit. I have of course played it in arrangements for weddings, and I’ve played the orchestral parts, but never the solo. I also enjoy trying out new books. I love the Suzuki books, but sometimes I get SO tired of teaching the same things, and knowing exactly where the student will have trouble (sometimes it’s great though, because THAT saves a ton of time), and it’s fun to try a little something new. I spent part of the morning emailing parents about new books to buy for their kids, some method books, some scales, some just a new song book (sometimes I don’t like to go straight to book 5 after book 4. If the student is in late middle or high school and is more of a late starter to lessons I find they want to murder Vivaldi if I do that, so I like to add in some of Barbara Barber’s Solos for Young Violinists as a reprieve.)

I’ve been thinking a ton lately about how to improve my studio. I think I have been coming to terms with the fact that I will likely (hopefully!) be teaching some of these students for many more years and rather than MOVING again, which I have done several times in my adult life, I might just be settling down and being here. (That being said, never say never, and I am generally not one to pass up a new adventure). I have some great students and I enjoy teaching, but I want to try to encourage everybody to do even MORE and improve more than they are. I’m working on a Halloween practice project for the younger students, and brainstorming a studio scale project for everybody (except the very beginners). I won’t have too much time for a mid-year recital but I’ve got some ideas on the burner for spring. I’m also thinking it might be fun to get some people out to a nursing home to perform or something like that.

Of course, you know I’m always big on grand ideas. My personal goal for the year is to actually accomplish most or at least some of my grand ideas. Last year was a bit challenging, but I’m generally doing a lot better this year, and so I’m trying to push myself to improve professionally, personally, and in general. That means not just bookmarking teaching ideas on the internet, but actually implementing them. That means not only blogging about upcoming events, but actually attending them. That means making an effort to make more friends since I’ve lost quite a few over the past years…some moved (I miss you guys!), some drifted away for whatever reason (divorce can be hard, I guess?), and some were never really my friends to begin with. 

Anyway, those are my deep thoughts for Friday. And here’s a kitty picture, per request.