Another Sticky Situation

[ingagroznaya]

I am getting that too. Do we have to register to view them?

No. This photo album is not private. Maybe too many other sardines was trying to get in at the same time? Come on in! Check out those dirty socks on the piano. It's truly disgusting!

This is as real as it can only be.

[loops]

yes the socks are truly disgusting

re revenge:
you need a big burly humourless bouncer who looks like he's into "discipline"

but I really don't get the bit about goats, pee/pea and ham

[joyfulmusic]

Most hilarioius!  I needed a good laugh.  I'm thinking one needs a contract with a list of all the unacceptable behaviors one has witnessed.  It would amuse parents and scare the hell out of them that they might be on the list.

[leahcim]

but I really don't get the bit about goats, pee/pea and ham

Jokes rarely gain in the explanation but FWIW....

old goat = an elderly person

pee = urine [not to be confused with pea, a small green vegetable]

pee and ham = the perfume of some....*cough*... well I'm sure you can figure out the rest....

[ingagroznaya]

Nothing amuse those parents, Joyful. We are too diplomatic and put up with WAY too much! I just called the mom who tells her son to call her, so she'll drive over to pick him up. What the hell? Knowing the time when his lesson ends is not enough. I should babysit him. Her time is more important then mine. I told her it will cost her, if she wants her son to hang around at my place for a minute longer. Pick up time is sharp.

I talk to kitchen browsing madam during her lesson time today. I told her to never go into my kitchen, to take a chair and sit in one place where I can see her. Period. One adult per child.

Lord, people are stupid!

Sometimes you'll have to treat them as if they are totally deranged, dear Joyful: "Here is a chair for you. See it? Sit down. Don't move."

If they do act bizarre, your response will sound just as bizarre. There is no other way around it. " Peter, don't dig in my cabinets. Those are MY cabinets. I can hear you. Pee fast and go home. Let me know if you need tampon. Are you drunk?".

This is my bedroom. This is my "foo foo" and so on. This is my time and it cost money. Some people are clueless. They don't know any better and I Don't CARE if some of them on menses or it's permanent.

[loops]

About the "foo-foo", I can't help thinking about it in the context of another thread about
how to get vibrato on the piano 

[quasimodo]

About the "foo-foo", I can't help thinking about it in the context of another thread about
how to get vibrato on the piano 

Gosh! these women... 

[penguinlover]

Inga,
  I think you should write a book, and publish it, and put it out for all those "visitors" to read.  They need something to do while you are giving lessons.  Include all your piano teaching adventures, you have a great way of expressing yourself, and people laugh.  Sometimes the best way to correct a situation is with humor.  I am serious.  There must be a million stories out there, and you have a good start with your own!

[ingagroznaya]

From a conversation with my student today.
Student stops playing in amusement: " Is someone taking a shower?"
Me :" You know, I was just thinking the same thing".

[Bob]

Sounds very bizarre.

If someone does something out of line, I would let them know right away.  "What is this?!"  Have them explain.  And if they continue, drop them.  It's not worth the stress.

Sounds like there may be a problem with how students and parents are entering the house.  Can you always tell when someone enters?  That would be a bit startling to find someone coming in the house without knowing it.

If there are too many people, I would make them stand.  Leave space for one person.  One chair out, but no more.  They will get the idea or not enjoy standing for 30 minutes to an hour, or if they sit on the floor.

Keep the bathroom door shut.  They won't know which one it is.  If someone asks to use it, ask if they can wait -- "It's only 15 more minutes and then the lesson is over."

You could always make up an excuse that the bathroom isn't working and they can't use it too.

For socks, I would never let anyone do that if it were my piano.  Dirty socks on a piano?  On my piano?!  For what it cost and the germs/who-knows-what on the socks?  No way.  Take them off immediately.

If these are foreign people, I would be blunt the tell them what is expected.  If they don't do it, I would drop them.

This is another bizzare thread. 

[penguinlover]

It is a bizarre thread, but I am enjoying it.  Haven't we all  had funny things happen during the lessons we give?  I do wonder though, if someone WAS taking a shower.  Now, that would be very bizarre.  I think I would lock everyone out of the house except the student and me, tell everyone it is for everyone's safety.  Did you find out what it was?  Just wondering.  I still think you should write a book.

[ingagroznaya]

One grandfather who is delivering three cousins to my lessons last week threw away a full cup of milkshake into my recycle container. He did not know it was mine.
I've told him never to do it again. It was MY and my neighbor's container. We have no way to clean it. In hot weather it will stink!

This week he bought them milk shakes again, before I've had a chance to tell him that he is in trouble. He went into my kitchen and used sophisticated "shower option" in my kitchen sink to clean his milkshake cups. Since I almost never use that option, I am not very familiar with the sound. I figured:" Huh, someone is taking a shower...No big fricking deal. Let's go on with our lesson". But then my student stopped playing and asked in amusement:" Is someone taking a shower?"

Anyone here seen the show " Two Piano, Four Hands"? Whoever wants to co-write a play, I'm overloaded with material. Contact me, I am ready.

[pianistimo]

ok.  i'm in.

[ingagroznaya]

ok.  i'm in.

O boy, you are so brief today! 

[pianistimo]

that's because i went to kindergarten orientation and had to listen to an hour's worth of kindergarten information.

[pianistimo]

i not only want to help write this play - i want to act and play the piano in it.  can i cani cani ?  i want to be on stage.  i want to play the piano.  why is my life laundry and kindergarten orientations?  oh.  yes.  i forgot.  i wanted children.  well - i want piano, too.  help.  i didn't even get to hear the Leeds piano competition.  can anyone do a similar BBC channel 3 barry douglas (with listening at the top) site for that?  i hear barry loud and clear. 

[leahcim]

i didn't even get to hear the Leeds piano competition.

Write to BBC America.

[It aint cheap y'know, they had to give that Andrew Brownell, Portland Oregan, £10000, which is $19000]

[lostinidlewonder]

Whats this " Two Piano, Four Hands" show thing? A play? huh, that would be amusing, starting wrinting it up and posting it then.

[penguinlover]

I'm sure it would be much funnier than what's out there now.  I would go see it!  Especially if pianistimo plays the pianist!

[ingagroznaya]

Whats this " Two Piano, Four Hands" show thing?

It is amusing no less. If you can, go and see it! It's actually hysterically funny... in some parts. You'll see your self in it. Some two Canadian guys co-wrote it. One has at least a BA in piano performance, another went through all Canadian exams. I don't remember how many levels ... Two piano on stage, two actors.
You can almost guess the dialogs.  Not very common sense lines, but once you've lived through it, you know all the answers.

[pianistimo]

well, i do remember attempting a hungarian rhapsody in church with another lady.  thankfully, the audience wasn't really particular.  i mean, most of them.  we thought we had worked out the beginning cue.  of course, i simply just decided not to play anything at the beginning - for the risk of not playing together - then i thought i'd come in on the next chords.   

but, say you have the labeque twins.  what do they do.  nobody is older and bossy.  they probably think like one anyway.  but, take someone you rarely practice with - and then get set up for a performance.  whew.  you have to get into the mind of someone.  i'd say do a little homework and mark the spots you might have to play their part or warn them about the part you need slowed down.  you know, the fast run they never get right or the times you remind them to slow down here and they take it at 120 bpm.

[pianistimo]

i found a review of 'two pianos, four hands' here:

www.2pianos4hands.com/pages/r_nyc.html

also, on another site it has all the pieces played in act I and II.  i can play half of them, i think.

[eastcountypiano]

I have mostly student's siblings wandering my house while I give lessons.  So, I was able to put up a heavy curtain separating the family room (teaching room) from the kitchen.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Kids don't see it as a boundary line, but adults do.  So far, I haven't had any parent roaming my house, but I think if I did, I would stop the lesson and go ask if I could help them?  Every minute you have to go see what they are doing is the time you are taking away from their child's lessons. 

I do tell each new parent my guidelines and that where the piano is, is where I teach and they can wait there or wait on the patio.  I think that sends the message my house is not for them to roam in.  Of course, it's not a perfect set up because my bathroom is down the hall and they have to go past the curtains to get to it.  I don't really want people in my bathroom, for the same reason I don't like going to public bathrooms, but it not something that you can say no to, really.  So, I deal with it.

[ingagroznaya]

.... fired .
I soaped my foo foo and fired the whole family. No more sticky situations or sticky foo foos. It is my place, damnn it!

[oceansoul]

Greetings.
This thread is fantastic. Did you fire the child aswell? How did you do it?
You made me laugh alot with the orchid and counting the condoms. I wonder how can there be persons to do such things. Is it weird for them to have a female piano teacher? Is it possible for them to have seen the movie "Piano Teacher", which envolves sexual matters too?
I think you made the right decision. I wouldn't like to have strangers using my bathroom either. lol

Goodbye for now,
       OceanSoul.