Okay! Last lessons have been taught, recital is over, and schedule is done (or, as close to done as it will be)! What's next? A little bit of time to recharge and then ... well that's up to you. Over the summer, my brain is ready to absorb new information and reading gives me ideas of how I want to approach things for the new year! Here is my top list of books and articles that have either inspired me, taught me something new, or just make the list based purely on awesomeness!
Professional Development
MusicEdConnect 2017
For 4 days, I geeked out with teachers from all over the world learning from experts in a wide variety of fields. While I was exhausted at the end of each the day, it also renewed my enthusiasm and idea bin for music teaching. This is my recap of the MusicEdConnect (MEC) 2017 conference.
Play It Again, Sam!
This is the first in a new series of book reviews on the blog. Lately, I have been wondering about the role of repetition in both lessons & practice time. In my own practice, it has been enlightening to see the natural patterns I fall into. Especially since some of them, as a teacher, I really do know better. As a teacher, it's painful sitting through a song that once again a student has obviously put NO thought into during a week of incorrect practice. ("Why is the starting note still incorrect?" "I didn't realize." "It was written in bold on your practice page." "Huh.")
Making Hard Choices
Owning a business can be exhilarating & rewarding. But at times, the reality can be overwhelming & frustrating when we are unsure of the right choice to make or whether to continue to follow through on the choices we have already made. I've made some great decisions over the years. And, I've made mistakes. But, how can we make those hard choices that best fit our studio?
Making Resolutions That Stick
Every year, I find that I have 2 New Year's. One begins in September & goes through the academic year. The other follows a more 'grown-up' route of starting in January. Both lead to many resolutions & ideas. Both are instrumental in my growth professionally & personally. And the only way I found to make … Continue reading Making Resolutions That Stick
I don’t have a hobby. I have a boutique studio!
Your vision for your studio may change over time and that's okay. My starting vision of having a studio that consistently improves has new offerings for clients hasn't changed. But, the evolution of that vision is drastically different from what I had originally planned. I opted to have a boutique studio!
What On Earth Was I Thinking?
Combined with all the back to school preparations, it was natural to look back on the previous years of school ... both my kids in school & my growth as a teacher. At this point, we are now on the 11th & 12th teachers for our kids. They have all done well with our kids, but not all have done well with us as parents. And, I realized at the end of last year that the ones that didn't do well with us as parents reminded me of someone I know very well. Myself as a beginning teacher. What on earth was I thinking?
