So one of the good things about being home is not worrying about bears anymore.

And with that, we are back to work.

For me this year, work consists of about 30 students in addition to my other playing responsibilities. I finally have my schedule organized, my students notified, and for the most part they are showing up when and where they are supposed to, but scheduling this year was a HUGE time commitment. The more students I have, the more challenging scheduling is, as there is less wiggle room. It was a few weeks of stress and panic (double booking students, overbooking, telling them something different than I wrote down, people asking to switch to what had been an empty time a week ago, etc.) but I seem to have everything mostly under control for the moment. I am also losing my fear of losing students, because I have so many that if one drops then another will likely call and take their place.

This is not to say that I want any of my students to drop, because I care about them and want them to continue to learn! And also because it is easier to teach a student I have an existing relationship with than a new one, but simply to say that at the moment I’m not worried about teaching income and whether my schedule will be full enough. (I do have a few openings, but they are very limited!)

Playing wise, I’ve updated my “violin” page to tell you about my upcoming concerts. I’m excited about the Perseid Quartet concerts, but I’m really excited about a “solo” recital I’m playing on October 12. My friend Jen (a wonderful pianist) and I are playing Brahms A Major Sonata and Prokofiev’s D Major Sonata together, and then she is playing some solo organ works and I’m playing Bach’s Sonata no. 1 in G minor by myself. It is a very challenging concert and I haven’t done a solo recital (this is certainly what we called a solo recital in school, even though Jen’s part is just as challenging if not more so!) since graduating from school. I also hope to make it a yearly (at least) activity to give myself motivation, to continue to improve on the violin, and frankly, to stop being terrified of playing alone and that people won’t like the way I play.

I have spent many years being worried about performing solo Bach, that people won’t like the style, that it will be too romantic or something, and honestly, I’m realizing that it just doesn’t matter. I’m pushing myself and it should be a lot of fun, hopefully for me AND the audience. Jen has been wonderful to work with, in addition to being a good friend, and we are excited about our upcoming performances and some other projects we have in the works.

One of the “life” themes I’ve been working on fits into this idea, of not worrying what people think. As I get older, I am really trying to do things that I want to without worrying that people won’t approve. I spent most of my life seeking approval from other people, and I’m realizing that it just isn’t there anyway or that it just isn’t important enough, OR (even better) that people will still be there for you even when you live your life your way (obviously within reason and without purposefully hurting people). Those are your real friends, and those are who matters. This past year has certainly taught me that, if nothing else.

It’s time for me to stop pondering the merits of performing Solo Bach and get down to it. Fugues don’t memorize themselves, do they?