The end of the semester, that is…

Since I teach at two different colleges, that means the end of the semester is a big deal. I’m finishing up all kinds of lessons and stuff in the next two weeks and then, by my figures, I’ll be dropping about 15 hours of work and driving time from each week. This is a significant thing. You might say, oh my gosh, what will you do with all your free time, but the real question is, how did you have 15 hours to give to those students and those jobs? The short answer is: I don’t know, and this is why I did a lot of crying in January and February.

I posted on twitter yesterday in response to a question about work –life balance, that I would love to have more free time and get paid work for the work I do so that I could do less work. But the truth is probably that I would simply fill up that free time with more work, as I’m constantly seeking career and musical satisfaction.

However, the truth of the matter is that I’m possibly seeking things I already have found and just piling on my stress. I’m going to try to “take it easier” this summer. My first step was to give myself two weeks of vacation at the beginning of June—we are taking a trip and also having some visitors and I’m not teaching or doing anything violin related during that time (with perhaps one or two necessary exceptions). Then I’m just not doing as many things this summer—well the colleges are off and so that is just not an option, and I’m going to try to relax and recharge, get in shape, practice, do stuff around the house, and get outside and do fun stuff too.

I’ve started a new workout routine. I say started as I’m on day two, but I’m doing the blogilates videos online. They are pretty silly, but I have always wanted to be better at pilates moves, and I’m sore, so I think so far this is a success. I’ve been having some knee pain since our NY trip so I don’t want to run yet, but I wanted to make myself move more. I think I can commit to about 30 minutes a morning, which is all that this takes, and I know it will be good for me.

I’m nearly done with my 100 days of viola practice on instagram. I haven’t done as much time as I’d like, but isn’t that how life is? I really only manage to practice my primary instrument 1 to 2 hours a day on average, so it’s hard to squeeze in another one. The trick is consistency and practicing smart. I realized recently I think I’ve developed my own practice techniques for violin, that might not work for everybody but they do for me—lots of things like, let’s slow practice this part now that I don’t need to play until later, and then when I come back to it a few weeks later it is magically better. I don’t know how it all works, but I suppose after 35 years of violin practice things stick around in some way. My violin is buzzing even more than normal and I’m not sure what to do, because I don’t have time to take it in until later, so I’m just pretending that it will go away, and hopefully it will. I’m borrowing a viola from my sister Carrie and it’s very lovely. I need a better bow but my first attempt at trying something new fell through and I haven’t made the time for a new attempt yet.

A few Muriel pictures before I go to tackle a few items on my to-do list before my private students arrive (I was supposed to teach 4 college students this morning and only ended up teaching ONE)…

She’s a little bit of a jumper!

Oh, and this Tuesday, my quartet is playing at the Sheldon. It’s our last concert this season and we are super excited about it.

Fan Favorites at the Sheldon: Beloved Chamber Music of Schubert and Ravel

There are certain pieces in the string quartet repertoire you just can’t help falling in love with. We’ll start with Schubert’s emotive, stormy string quartet titled “Death and the Maiden”, a favorite among generations of string quartets.
When the young Maurice Ravel penned his singular string quartet, he pushed the boundaries of musical form and incorporated diverse influences including Balinese gamelan music.  Initially scorned by the musical establishment, his quartet is cherished for its evocative tone colors and musical atmospheres that create a dazzling effect.

​Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 7:30pm
Sheldon Concert Hall
3648 Washington Blvd, St Louis, MO 63108​ Directions
Tickets: $10 at the door