Getting ready for fall

Things are working out well with the fall schedule.  I had one student choose to not restart piano lessons; she's going to try tennis instead! I don't begrudge it when kids don't come back to piano, especially when they give it up to try something else.  I think that being a kid is all about exploring different interests and different opportunities.  I know there are plenty of people who feel exactly the opposite and that kids need to pick one thing and devote everything they have to it, but that's just not my thinking. And since I'm friends with her mom, I know that we'll all stay in touch and that maybe she'll come back to piano someday.

I will have 14 students, and two of them will come every other week.  Two others, who are taking lessons on an evening that I have a school meeting once a month, will miss that one week each month.  It's not ideal, but it happened this past year with my Monday students, and it actually worked out better than any of us thought.  Both sets of parents told me that they liked having the break once a month, and since we all knew the schedule ahead of time, I was able to assign the kids a little extra work when they had two weeks between lessons.

Monday: C&S, K&D, K&K (every other week)
Tuesday: R, Z&J
Weds: J,J,&D
Thurs: R&M

I stress out about stuff like this every year, and every year it works out.  Why do I stress?!?! In other news, I printed out membership applications for two music associations, one local and one national.  If I have this active a studio and plan to continue it, then I should join some professional organizations.  So that is something different for me.

Cutting loose

When is it time to cut loose a song that a student is not making any progress on?  I did it this week with the brother/sister duo who inspired this blog, and I have to say, it felt pretty good.  I am sure it felt even better to them.  Why should one song frustrate kids to the point they don't want to play?  I'm pretty sure it was the wrong song at the wong time, and I'm willing to say that to the kids.  Some I've picked, some they've picked, but no one is to blame.  Certainly, we've learned from the experience, and that's good.  But it's also good to take a step back, simplify, take a breather from what frustrates us. 

Summer Update II

Back in June, I looked at the wide open calendar and thought about everything I'd get done in the coming months.  Now here it is the middle of August and, while I've gotten a lot done, I am feeling the "last two weeks of summer panic" set in.  Luckily, I did enough home DIY projects that I'm not feeling pressured to work around the house.  I've seen most of my piano students a few times this summer, some more than others, but for some of them, we haven't been together for a lesson since school let out.

It's that time of summer, when we start setting the schedule for the fall.  I'm going to start at 4:30 PM on Mondays to accommodate some young students.  It'll be a stretch for me to get home by then.  I'll just have to leave work at the first moment I can so that I'm home in time for them.  Starting at 4:30 will allow me to finish a little earlier, which is always a good thing.

Mondays
4:30-5:30: C&S
5:30-6:30: D&K

Tuesdays
5:00-5:30 R
5:30-6:00 C (?--she is one of those I haven't seen since early June)
6:00-7:00 K&K (every other week)
7:00-8:00 Z&J (hmm...this seems awfully late)

Wednesdays
5:00-6:30 J, J, &DS

Thursdays
4:30-5:00 M
5:45-6:15 R

Looking at this, I am feeling a little worried about Tuesdays.  Maybe I can get the every other week peopel to come on Mondays from 6:30-7:30.  That way they'll be the last people of the day and I'll be done earlier every other week. And I can move the Z&J brothers to 6-7 PM.  Hmmm....And my neighbor wants her three kids to take lessons again--I truly don't think I have room for 3 more students!! YIKES! This is a good problem to have, I suppose.