tuition, perf class, and next semester

A Happy Halloween morning to you!  And Happy Reformation Day to my fellow Reformed friends! :)  AND Happy World Series to everyone!!!  Woo-hoooo!!!!  Don't know about you, but I was on a high from that all. weekend. long.  It was awesome.  Pretty sure I needed a time-out last night because I was crabby from so much excitement haha.

A couple of things to start your week:  Just a friendly reminder that tuition is due in lesson this week for November.  Amazing to me that we're getting close to the end already.  We'll start discussing recital rep within the next couple of weeks as we head into the final stretch.  A reminder that we will NOT have lessons the week of Thanksgiving, except for make-ups.  And we will officially be done with the semester after the recital is over Sunday, Dec 11.  We will NOT have lessons the week after the recital either, except for make-ups.  I've been keeping track of make-ups so if you have doubts about that, let me know and I can give you an update.

Also a reminder that performance class is NEXT Saturday, November 12 at 10:30 at the Steinway Gallery.  We'll pick pieces for class this week or next week in lesson.  Some of the pieces we start picking for the final 2-3 performance classes will probably also be recital pieces eventually.  You can encourage your students to think back over the last two and a half months and decide which pieces have been their favorites / best efforts to start preparing for recital.

I'm hoping to have worked out next semester's schedule soon.  I should just go ahead and put a deadline of next Monday on it so that I don't squirrel around anymore... but hey, we won the World Series, right?  Gotta take time to enjoy that.  Anyway I will try to get next semester's schedule out to you by next Monday so that we can all start lining up dates and have a framework in mind.  There's a lot going on next semester which I will tell you about when I send out the schedule.  Get ready for big fun though :)

I think that's it for now.  Have a safe and happy Halloween!  See you in lesson!

"[It's] so demanding... The only way you don't enjoy it is if you don't compete to the best of your ability."

- Tony La Russa, Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, 11-time World Series Champs

... the same can be said for piano :)

Mizzou

This is a picture of my friend James, who is the choral director at Carl Sandburg College up near Chicago.  We were in school together at Mizzou while he did his masters in choral conducting and I was in my latter years as an undergrad.  Below, witness his excitement upon opening the most recent University of Missouri School of Music brochure to find a picture of you know who :)

My hair is definitely shorter in the brochure, but yes, it's yours truly.  Taken roughly two years ago in front of the columns and Jesse Hall.  That picture is my pride and joy.  I even had a former student last year who was a senior in high school at the time and received last year's School of Music brochure amongst all the college stuff she was getting in the mail at the time and later ask if it was really me.  HA!  Didn't know your piano teacher was actually legit, huh?  I love it.  Thanks for sharing, James.  You made my day, old friend!

happy wednesday

I don't know about you, but I need a laugh.  The last couple of days I have been a complete snotball.  My allergies have been acting up and my sinuses have not been happy about it.  It makes for lovely evenings as I stare into the tube, drugged up with a cup of tea and horrendous mornings with the neti pot.  I'm barely getting my work done, if that.  Awesome, right?

But this morning, my mom posted the following on my facebook wall, which made me feel tremendously better, at least on the inside.  This was taken at the Mayo Clinic atrium, where this couple walked in for a check-up and spotted a piano.  Totally impromptu.  Youtube informs me they've been married 62 yrs and he was 90 at the time this was taken.  Boy do I love old people.  And man do I love my instrument.  Watch and enjoy...

From my cup of tea to yours, Happy Wednesday.  Cheers.

haha!

Found this via a friend of mine on facebook this morning.  Have yet to find the original source but word on the street is that it was published by The New Yorker Magazine back in the 70's.  Some humor for your Monday Funday...

... if only it really were that easy ;)