Monday, Monday

I love Mondays. I figured out this year that students who came for lessons on Monday mornings are generally less prepared and focused than those who come at other times of the week. Most kids struggle to practice over the weekend, and coming for a lesson after two days of non-practice yields a mediocre lesson. So I don't schedule students on Monday mornings, which gives me a great morning for a killer workout, time to shower and dress and clean house (which isn't usually that much after the weekend) and run any other errands I need to do. It also frees me up to enjoy lunch, and today I get to have lunch with two of my favorite friends from high school... Karen and Travis. One thing I know for sure today... I'm going to be laughing a lot.

I will have a few lessons this afternoon -- just enough to ease into the week. And then tonight I have youth orchestra rehearsal. Most Monday evenings I love doing this. It's a great group of kids, generally willing to work hard, and generally having a good attitude about it. We have six rehearsals left before our concerts, and I feel good about the progress they have made. I still have moments, though, when I wonder what on earth is so inherently difficult about counting while playing.... This picture was taken at one of our very first rehearsals held in the living room of my parents' guest house, before we found a permanent rehearsal place and home at the Joplin Performing Arts Center.


I also found out this morning that I have been invited to teach at a summer music festival down in Arkansas. That's so exciting for me. For all the routine, weekly teaching I do week-in-week-out, this will be really fun to see some new students and find out what I can do inside of one week to really impact their playing. I think my goal with each student I teach will be to give them one new idea, and to give them a great time. My summer music experiences as a kid were the things that gave me that shot in the arm to not only keep me going, but give me a fresh vision for myself. I don't think kids can get too much of that kind of thing. Kids need challenge, variety, someone who says, "Here, try this really hard, really cool thing that you might think you can't do... but you can." I'm hoping to be able to afford to take Lydia to the Suzuki Institute in Ottawa this summer. She's studying Suzuki violin with a former/current student of mine (who is really wonderful), and works so diligently that I know Institute would completely inspire her. Who knows, maybe I'll even try to take Michael with me.

Ok, I'm off to start/continue my day. Mondays are great. Now Tuesdays... ugh. ;)