Along the Merry Way....

Hello friends! Yes, people, this is exactly what it looks like.......Spring! Hurray. That time of the year when the weather awakens those primieval urges to romp about in the mud and build things out of sticks and sail boats down the river. The buds coming out on the trees make it look like a faint green mist is hanging in the air about the branches. Melting river..... And more melting!

So I've given notice at the two different music studios where I work. In one, my bosses kindly said they understood and would be sorry to see me go but would take me back any time. In the other, there was a good deal of crazy, dramatic upset, and words to the effect of "You don't care about your students...." and "You're leaving them in the middle of the term (I gave months notice for a part-time job I had no contract with)," and "I won't give you a reference". I was ready to walk out several times after hearing this. All these hilarious little people (I have over 30) have frusterated and entertained me for almost 2 years now. I've seen very tiny ones learn not to fall off the bench, others learn to have rhythmn, and others get excited about their songs. I will not miss it although I will miss them. There is a vaaaaaaast difference between being a musician and teaching music, and I learned that I prefer the "being" part. It...

Gertrude is one of the sweetest little girls I've ever taught. However, I don't know how, but she frequently manages to play the piano with her mouth hanging wide open. It's as though she is still sitting in amazement at the last story that I've told her.

Ben and I are jamming on our cousin Rebekah's piano. We love to jam with blues, jazz, and anything else. (Thank you to Pete Baklinski for the "Oh When the Saints" blues version).

Recently Jay-Jay and Tabitha's father bought them a new piano. The children were very excited. When they went to pick it up, the house they bought it from had a suspiciously foul smell hanging in the air. However, they quickly forked over several hundred dollars and then carted the instrument out. After a great deal of expense and effort, they installed it in their living room. Unfortunately, the curious odour, which they thought they had left behind them, appeared to be radiating in strong waves from the piano. Jay-Jay and Tabitha rallied and attacked the piano with a bottle of febreeze, but to no avail. The smell became so pungent after a while that the children refused to practice. Then they refused to go near the instrument or the living-room any more. I suggested that perhaps there was a dead animal inside, and Jay-Jay said, “Well I'm sure not looking.” I asked Tabitha what exactly the smell was like. Her face paled, and she replied in a whisper, “Like nothing I've eve...

Jay-Jay and Tabitha: Two little black kids who are super excited and positive about everything (Cool stickers! Cool piano bench! Cool song! etc, etc). Jay-jay snaps his fingers and busts out dance moves on the bench. He could have come straight from New Orleans. Jay-Jay tells me he hasn't been able to practice piano recently because their keyboard broke down, but not to worry--he learns songs in his dreams. Amazing skill!

Stefan never ceases to amaze me with the sheer unbelieveability of his tales. This time he asked me if I knew that "A beaver once saved the life of the queen of England." Apparently she was in the royal family's private zoo, and a young beaver dove in front of an assasin's bullet and saved her life. I don't know where he comes up with these or has the nerve to tell me them with such earnestness.