What happened to you today?

[m1469]

If you're looking for pianos (and I'm guessing spinets would work best) you might solicit donations.I've run into several spinets during estate sales that were offered for free. They only needed to be picked up.

Thank you very much for the advice!  Generally, I would be looking for full digital pianos with weighted keys, etc., ... it's embarrassing to admit what is being used at the time ... though, it could actually be worse so I guess I shouldn't go that route.  But, ideally they can plug in earphones and work individually (which is what we do now), then I visit them each individually and give them each a mini one-on-one lesson each class.  I guess that would be possible still with acoustic pianos, but a lot less peaceful overall.  Ideally I'd also have a couple of acoustic pianos in there, too (I'm not sure how big the new classroom is) and we could hold studio classes, as well, but once again, I'm aiming to take things step by step ... and I don't even know how long I'll be teaching there, so ... taking it all as it comes.  I very well might still scour for donations, though!

[oxy60]

As you can read from my post, I am a little out of touch with modern methods. Piano class brings to mind a room full of spinets, with students playing the exact same thing all together. That's how it was done in the 50's.

What you are doing seems much more effective. As an enhancement maybe you might wire the extra output of each keyboard into a central switching system where you could listen to each student individually.

 

[m1469]

What you are doing seems much more effective. As an enhancement maybe you might wire the extra output of each keyboard into a central switching system where you could listen to each student individually.

Yes, that would be ideal.  What I am doing now is not as effective as I would like, of course, but I would prefer doing it this way rather than risking to hold some students back just so we could all be doing the exact same thing.  Right now, my class age-range is from 1st to 8th grade, which poses some problems when you also factor in home-lives and attention abilities.  I have some students in there who are actually feeling quite serious about music and are advancing much more quickly than some others and I certainly don't want to hold those ones back because of others who are not practicing, etc., for whatever reasons.  

Related, despite the different nature of this school than most public schools, this is still a State funded (charter) school (only in its second year of existence) and serves, I've learned, many low-income families who are generally not directly paying for these classes themselves (they choose my class(es) as a way to spend an allotment of state funding, basically, to go towards individualized curriculum).  So, most fundraising, etc., will come from some source I've not truly had a moment to investigate.

In any event, I'm in a "place" in my life of striving very earnestly to take things step by step ... many ideals are WAY not close to sight.  In my violin class, I'm striving to do a similar thing but have grouped them up according to learning paces, etc..  There are some concepts we all learn, but then they group up (learning about ensembles, at the same time) and I address them group by group, sometimes individual by individual, depending on the needs.  That class is pretty loud  .  

[oxy60]

You are a real Heroine for teaching that violin class. Whew! What I do after an auditory assault is retreat to a tuned keyboard for a short practice session. I need to reset my ears!

Thank you for the report on how the voucher program is working. Every child is entitled to those vouchers (school choice) because everyone pays the taxes to support the schools. This is the first time I've heard of a home/charter school setup. I find your comments very encouraging.

[m1469]

You are a real Heroine for teaching that violin class. Whew! What I do after an auditory assault is retreat to a tuned keyboard for a short practice session. I need to reset my ears!

That's a good idea - it will need to wait until after my teaching day, but I get your point!  I find myself strangely tolerant for now, perhaps because I can also hear in there their intentions, which are for the most part good.

Thank you for the report on how the voucher program is working. Every child is entitled to those vouchers (school choice) because everyone pays the taxes to support the schools. This is the first time I've heard of a home/charter school setup. I find your comments very encouraging.

Yes, I feel very strongly about this program for many reasons!  One of the most attractive-to-me things about it is its potential to build an entire curriculum around an area of interest, which means that somebody who is seriously interested in music could study everything about the world and meet state standards through the lens of music!  And, if they are home-schooled, that means their daily work could be dedicated almost entirely to this!  They wouldn't just be jamming music work on top of hours of other schooling.  That perks my ears up, though I don't know of anybody who has this desire at the time (and I don't know of the materials that would be needed/required, at this point, either - but, that is "solvable").  

I think it's a really wonderful approach to schooling and often feel I myself would have been -in so many ways- the home-school type.  In fact, I had about two months of being home-schooled while my family was in the middle of moving states.  That was probably my favorite school experience, to just be able to go into a room by myself and have the kind of peace there to really concentrate on what I was doing and to absorb it in my own way.  

As a teacher, I find myself feeling quite happy for these children even though some home-lives are pretty ... "interesting" and so are not automatically conducive to productive learning.  Strangely enough, though, this school-year my private studio has attracted all on its own two very nice young ladies who also happen to be attending this school (who found me in different ways), and one from the school itself (who is the Principal's niece) who are all quite talented.  And then I have one piano student who was not functioning anymore in the regular public schools (because of particular reasons) and I referred him to this school and he enrolled.  So, I happen to have four private students who also are part of this school - which is great because I know what their schedules are like and how to pull the right strings to help them with establishing a practice routine.  Of course that doesn't mean they're perfect, but it seems there is a clearly marked difference with these individuals.  

Anyhoo, I tend to get pretty passionate feeling regarding these subjects.  I am glad you are encouraged by the idea, as well!

[m1469]

WOO!  I get my new room tomorrow!  Yipeeeeee!  I wasn't positive if it was really going to happen at all, but it's really happening and it's happening tomorrow!  Yip, Yip!  That means I can musically decorate, too  .

[pianoplayjl]

I had an exam on Law and commerce.

[littletune]

I had an exam on Law and commerce.

Didn't you say you were 15? That exam sounds more like something for University or something to me, kinda scary   

I had a math test today!

WOO!  I get my new room tomorrow!  Yipeeeeee!  I wasn't positive if it was really going to happen at all, but it's really happening and it's happening tomorrow!  Yip, Yip!  That means I can musically decorate, too  .

That's really cool m1469!! 

[pianoplayjl]

My flat did not have water so I did not brush my teeth.

[pianowolfi]

I had a major inspiration at improv today and now I'm regretful because I decided to go with the flow of the moment instead of getting my recording device...it was huge. Now I'm very regretful. But on the other hand I think if I had actually got up to get that recording device it probably would have interrupted the flow even more
I'm slowly waking up and getting aware of what happened and I feel so frustrated...

But okay, deep inside I know I can even do something better than that one today....someday...and maybe I can even conjure this incredible unspeakable thing to appear again, even much more intense, and even closer....!!!

oh well

[littletune]

Don't be sad Wolfi! It's still there, it's just hiding a little.   

[oxy60]

I had a major inspiration at improv today and now I'm regretful because I decided to go with the flow of the moment instead of getting my recording device...it was huge. Now I'm very regretful. But on the other hand I think if I had actually got up to get that recording device it probably would have interrupted the flow even more
I'm slowly waking up and getting aware of what happened and I feel so frustrated...

But okay, deep inside I know I can even do something better than that one today....someday...and maybe I can even conjure this incredible unspeakable thing to appear again, even much more intense, and even closer....!!!

oh well

That is really frustrating! If it was a good idea it will be back.

I only play on digital pianos and recording is built in so I only need to push a button. All I need now is a flash of inspiration!

[pianowolfi]

Don't be sad Wolfi! It's still there, it's just hiding a little.   

Yes that's maybe what it does...

*Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.*.....

[oxy60]

Speaking of the hour, don't forget to reset your clocks tonight. (Just not in the US, yet.)

[pianowolfi]

That is really frustrating! If it was a good idea it will be back.

I only play on digital pianos and recording is built in so I only need to push a button. All I need now is a flash of inspiration!

I can't do that on digitals, I need the full resonance of the acoustic piano. I did some on digitals but it's never the same. They are very good for practicing but not for making real music

[m1469]

I had a major inspiration at improv today and now I'm regretful because I decided to go with the flow of the moment instead of getting my recording device...it was huge. Now I'm very regretful. But on the other hand I think if I had actually got up to get that recording device it probably would have interrupted the flow even more
I'm slowly waking up and getting aware of what happened and I feel so frustrated...

But okay, deep inside I know I can even do something better than that one today....someday...and maybe I can even conjure this incredible unspeakable thing to appear again, even much more intense, and even closer....!!!

oh well

That is a bummer, Wolfi, but keep in mind it's mainly only a bummer because we live in an age where we more or less expect that we *can* get all of that on recording and listen back and learn from that in that way.  Sometimes that tricks us, I think, into thinking that if we *didn't* capture it in the moment, that we are missing out on something that is in fact always within us (and that is what it seems "The Greats" of Centuries ago *had* to rely upon).  It didn't use to be that way, of course, and all that your inspiration was built upon in still there!  Don't just try to remember the precise form of expression, but what it was built upon - where it came from.  I think that behind every manifested expression, inspired or not, there is a traceable process which led to it.  I bet you can try to dissect the process a bit and maybe get a link to the domino effect that led to the expression as you felt it.  Well, just a thought .  But, I'll look forward to hearing when it's time .

[pianowolfi]

That is a bummer, Wolfi, but keep in mind it's mainly only a bummer because we live in an age where we more or less expect that we *can* get all of that on recording and listen back and learn from that in that way.  Sometimes that tricks us, I think, into thinking that if we *didn't* capture it in the moment, that we are missing out on something.  It didn't use to be that way, of course, and all that your inspiration was built upon in still there!  Don't just try to remember the precise form of expression, but what it was built upon - where it came from.  I bet you can try to dissect the process a bit and maybe get a link to the domino effect that led to the expression as you felt it.  Well, just a thought .  But, I'll look forward to hearing when it's time .

You are so wonderful at understanding  

Now when I look back to it it seems more and more like it was actually a sort of clear decision...I was just there at the piano, playing, and feeling that it went off to new dimensions and I just needed to stay there, and keep playing and I couldn't miss one single part of a second...

I remember the steps that led there...I will go that path again ...

[pianoplayjl]

Didn't you say you were 15? That exam sounds more like something for University or something to me, kinda scary   

I had a math test today!

Whoops, I said the wrong thing. I had a commerce exam. Anyway, it encompassed law and economy and other stuff. everyone should take that subject.

I'm going to have a Maths test on Friday. I'll bet it will be easy anyway.

[pianoplayjl]

Exams. they are 1.5 hours each and laste till friday.

friday, friday, gotta get down on Friday........

[williampiano]

I played football. I made two touchdowns, slid in the mud and hit my backside twice and crashed into a fence three times. fun  

[pianobilliam]

Today I went to school, and my fellow Pianist told me about the Piano Street Forum! I joined and i am very satisfied with my experience here. It is a nice group of people who seem to love the instrument as much as I do.

[littletune]

I had a piano recital!    Yes I made about a billion mistakes! Really sorry Mr Bach and Mr Pleyel that I ruined your pieces but now I'm just too tired to even feel bad about it! Maybe a little later... 
I don't really know why I was making so many mistakes, cause my hands weren't even shaking all that much... I guess I was just tired and besides I haven't been even practicing all that much for the last two or three days cause I had to practice math a lot cause I had a test yesterday... that will probably be just the same as my recital a lot of stupid mistakes!  Oh well who cares, that's what happens when you have to many things at the same time!  I don't even care I just care about having holidays!!!

[georgedepp]

Today was very hectic for me. I started to play my piano but suddenly I got a important call from my friend and I leave piano there. I went for picnic and shopping. Its all about my today activity.

[littletune]

Today I went to my music school because my teacher had some sheet music for me... well she asked me if I would wait till the end of holidays or I wanted to start learning the pieces during the holidays already, and of course I said I wanted to start learning during the holidays (well I thought I would have more time than I do! and I also thought my dad would drive me there! because it's far and I need like 45 minutes in each direction and I need to go on two buses, but my dad couldn't drive me cause he wasn't home today! so I went on two buses took the sheet music in like 1 minute and went back with two buses again, but ok  )... So the new pieces that my teacher gave me are: the first one is an easy arrangement of Fifth Nocturne (I. Leybach) my teacher said that it wouldn't be so good for the exam so I'l be playing it now... and the other one or the  other ones that she gave me are 12 Little Preludes from Bach! I looked on the internet and somewhere it says it's level 7? late intermediate?! I don't know  looks a little scary, but my teacher says she thinks I can start with that... well we'll see I guess... 

[williampiano]

Today I got a really short haircut. A little too short of one...... 

I think I'm going to where a hat to school tomorrow to cover it up. 

[jesc]

Today I gave my students the results of their long exam.

Needless to say, I'm depressed and so are they.

[commissiona]

-

[williampiano]

Today I worked on a puppet show with some of my friends for Social Studies class. I made a Benjamin Franklin puppet! 

[m1469]

Today I worked on a puppet show with some of my friends for Social Studies class. I made a Benjamin Franklin puppet!  

 


Uh!  FINALLY my audition packet for Aretha Franklin is out for delivery, after circling her house for days being missent, apparently, several times to different places.  I looked at the map and it *seems* it's being delivered from a different zip code than the one I sent it to!  There was some confusion there, I guess, with the address given and all that.  BUT, hopefully it's out for delivery to the right place and people!!!  Now, Aretha, start fallin' in love with me   (actually, I'm not sure what I would do if she did ... yikes!). I'm still gonna need to play the piano, though ...  :-


Oh yeah, and I've finally allowed my freezing self to turn the heater on this morning (that is exciting, even though it's a horrible heater), since it appears (nothing's for absolute certain just YET ... grrrrr) I'll have enough teaching work to pay the bill ... haha.

*freezes*

[m1469]

Uh!  FINALLY my audition packet for Aretha Franklin is out for delivery, after circling her house for days being missent, apparently, several times to different places.  I looked at the map and it *seems* it's being delivered from a different zip code than the one I sent it to!  There was some confusion there, I guess, with the address given and all that.  BUT, hopefully it's out for delivery to the right place and people!!!  Now, Aretha, start fallin' in love with me   (actually, I'm not sure what I would do if she did ... yikes!). I'm still gonna need to play the piano, though ...  :-

I'm trying to just be open and trusting about things ... open to adventure, and trusting that there are ways to work things out.  It's a little scary!  But, I'm on this "life unimaginable" kick since the New Year (rather unintentionally ... it just sort of fell into my path).  After these past couple of years, especially, I feel more open, to that which I can't imagine.  And, this morning, as I was sorting through things, it seems that life just is humanly unimaginable.  I mean, I know it doesn't seem that way in lots of cases, but the more I reason through it, the more it seems that way to me.  I know there is this big thing about making tangible, manifesting what your desires are, so on and so forth.  I'm not even speaking against that, necessarily, it's just this whole other thing.

I guess I feel that if we could work out these past couple of years, for me to keep studying with my beloved teachers, for me to keep practicing piano and to work stuff up with voice, AND to be teaching as much as I have been, there's got to be a way to work something out if I happen to start getting work as a performer.  I'm just being open to possibilities so life can show me, instead of deciding that I know for sure all the answers already.  It's ok to just make decisions as I take footsteps, right?  If things really did change, though, I'm not sure I could handle super big, super quick changes.  I've been in some cave, you know, deep, deep in some other realm for a few years ... nearly seeing only my students, my husband, my dog, and my teachers.  Maybe nothing's changing though?  I just know that I feel more at peace in my life if it's in some kinds of motions, like at least I'm taking some footsteps which I'm feeling compelled to take about some deeper questions, at a time when it seems right for me to be doing so.  No matter what, whether my surroundings change or not, that's a different inner life, and that's been needed.

*goes back to practicing*

[49410enrique]

last minute changes to an accompanying/collaborative assignment, need to quickly learn several pieces in next couple of hoursor it will be a disaster for first class.  i was in class all day too so i don't even know when i'll get around to my own music, let alone have the energy to focus on it productively when it all settles.

this is about how i feel right now


like ms mayla, *goes back to practicing...

[roseamelia]

I've gotten to page 3 out of 4 in my music. it has it's own four pages ahhh..I have to practice them all.

[tombowler]

...and I had a lightbulb moment whilst I was practicing earlier. Will miss it tomorrow I have to go out driving and I won't even be able to listen to Radio 3 (BBC classical music station in the UK) because my wife who hates classical music will be with me)

[goldentone]

I love it!

[m1469]

I guess that is me  .

[roseamelia]

Nice pic m1469.

[tombowler]

Cats and pianos make such a lovely combination. I have a pic of my friend's albino cat on her upright right above my piano.

[m1469]

Nice pic m1469.

Thanks, it's my newest inner-head shot.

[pianoplayjl]

After my piano lesson I was about to get in the car. I opened the door and was clearing some stuff from my seat when mum accelerated and so ran over my toes. Took like 30 seconds to get them unsquished from the tyre. Luckily I wasn't hurt.
Also I was very close to losing my piano teacher because of scheduling issues.

JL

[m1469]

Something a little crazy, scary, and slightly also awesome happened to me today!  I was driving on the Interstate for a few hours through mountainy terrain (but I was in a valley at this point), and noticed that I was driving into a thunderstorm.  I noticed that the flashes were getting bigger and seemed then to be just over my head and then, it seemed like it started raining and hailing hard.  I started thinking I ought to make the windshield wipers go faster because it was getting slightly tricky driving, but realized they were already going full blast and seemed like they were barely doing anything at all.  

And then I saw a big semi truck in front of me and I started slowing down and decided to just try to follow that guy, who started getting slower and slower and I started being able to not see very well at all until suddenly everything around me completely disappeared and I absolutely couldn't see anything at all.  It was just all white and watery and haily all over the windshield and everywhere I could look, and it's as though the car were submerged completely in water, and hail and rain were pounding so hard down onto the car and it was *really* loud!  And I realized I better pull the heck over, which I was slowly doing but couldn't really see where I was going and was just blindly pulling over to the side of the Interstate, not really knowing how much shoulder was there but there was a rumble strip so I could at least tell I was pulling off the road.  But, I couldn't tell if I were going to hit somebody, or if people were going to hit me, and I was looking everywhere for the hazard lights but couldn't find those and I was a little bit freaking out because it felt like utter chaos, and I could sense cars all around me but couldn't see anything and figured they couldn't see anything either!

Then, after about 20 seconds, it suddenly was raining less and I could start to see and there was water everywhere on the road like it was literally a flash flood that fell all at once from the sky down onto us.  And, cars were pulled over everywhere and some people were just completely stopped right in the middle of the road.  But nobody hit anybody (as far as I saw)!  And, then, I slinked my car through the pondy road and was back onto the Interstate and just started driving again, and everybody started getting back on and driving again almost as though nothing happened, but we were all a little scared and driving a little different than before (because there was a lot of standing water and debris on the road for about a mile).  It was pretty scary because it all happened really, really fast, but it was also kinda neat  .

[oxy60]

Wow, what a story! I can't top that.

I was once in a similar situation but I could see other drivers ahead of me pulling over with their hazard flashers on and I did the same. (BTW in CA knowing how to turn on your hazard flashers is on the driving test.)

While waiting for the downpour to subside I saw a Volvo on the other side of the center divider aqua planning sideways at top speed. It disappeared into the storm. How they have gotten themselves into such a situation? 

[m1469]

Yeah, this was unique.  I had only ever been in something slightly similar once before, last year (and then something equivocal to last year's a little later in the trip this Monday), and it was scary enough that time.  This was pure nature just taking out a can of furious whoop-*ss on us and we completely couldn't even remotely compete.  And there was evidence of a number of crashes along the way, unfortunately (like smashed in and coned off guard rails).  I know I should know where those hazards are, and now I do, but we've had a few different cars over the years and they were all in different places.  I kept looking somewhere on the steering column, under the wheel, over the wheel, in the dash directly above the wheel ... to the left of the wheel ... but, as it turns out, there's a flat, inconspicuous button in the center of the whole dashboard, right between some vents.  Ah well.  I think I should've checked behind to make sure everybody else was OK, but after I could see again, I said "OH. MY. GAWD." right outloud, took a huge breath and instinctively wanted to get the heck outta there before anything else happened ... haha ... that's how it felt, like who knows what's next?  Yikes!

[pianowolfi]

Whoaa I got so scared just reading this, and I am so happy that nothing bad happened to you!!

[m1469]

Yeah, it's actually still really, super exciting to me to talk about it and to remember.  I don't think I will ever forget it and can just remember so clearly those moments and what it felt like and the sound and just the sheer force of it all.  It's as though I passed into another world or dimension and that, coming out the other side, I passed some kind of major test ... haha.  I've been in some earthquakes before and that's the only thing that compares (those were never real big, either, I think the biggest one was in the 4's), but this was still even more intense than those as an overall and effective experience (well, maybe partly because its memory is so fresh).  I'm really glad nothing happened, too, because it could've been a little easy for things to have turned out differently, but for now it just seems like a kind of cool experience.  

[thalbergmad]

I went to work, spoke to about 20 customers with the intelligence of a sponge and then went home.

Now doing some scanning to cheer meself up.

Thal

[ahinton]

I went to work, spoke to about 20 customers with the intelligence of a sponge and then went home.

I'm sure that you spoke to each and every one of them with far more intelligence than that! (and yes, I know what you meant, of course, but that's just one of the niceties of the English language, n'est-ce pas?)...

Best,

Alistair

[williampiano]

Today I've got to play in a piano recital. I don't feel overly prepared, but at least once it is over, I'll get to choose new music to learn.

[m1469]

Whoa!  Whoa!  Whoa!  I just saw an *awesome* shooting star in the middle of the day!!!!!    That is SOOOOOOO COOOOOOOLLLL!!!!  I didn't even know those existed!  I was just outside for the first time today, enjoying a slight bit of fresh air and I was going to sit down and read a little on my camping chair, and right after I sat down, there it was, falling out of the sky!!  What the???  I mean, logically they *must* exist since it's not like stuff is going into Earth's atmosphere only at our night time, but I guess it's mostly too bright to always see it in the day.  So, this must have been pretty big to be burning so bright still!  It seemed almost like it must have gone onto the ground even .... *thinks about it and gets a little nervous*  *looks up*

[thalbergmad]

Sounds like we might have another Roswell incident.

Thal

[m1469]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a UFO.