Tools of my trade- Yes, folks, the compositions are finished and off to the post office for their journey to Canada! Good luck to all of you! I think each and every one of them are TERRIFIC, whether or not they place in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Honorable Mention, or no rating at all. You are ALL winners just for submitting one, and I'm very proud of the hard-working students AND helpers who made them all happen. When we hear about Mozart composing at age 4, we're not nearly as impressed as BEFORE we've seen what nice work OUR 4 yr olds can do! Most of the current batch are 6 - 12, but for a few of them, it's their 3rd and 4th year submitting. Keep writing, kiddos, you have awesome ideas!

Happy First Day of Autumn! (no matter how rainy or cold!)

OK, that last part was for ME, since it's easy for me to get blue without sunny and warm weather. OK, at least sunny. I seem to need more and more Vit D every year I get older.

MYC classes and lessons are going well, as we all learn the routine, or re-learn it. Web site is working, and schedule intact. The pianos were tuned yesterday, and sound great! Replaced the old amp for the black Yamaha keyboard with one specifically made for keyboards (not guitars or bass) and IT sounds great too! Wedding in 2 weeks, plans in the works for the rehearsal dinner I'm "catering". Things are good.

I ran across this poem this morning:

Heather's song

This is a special love song

For all the young people in the world,

Here's hoping someone kind

Watches over each and every one,

Because in every young face,

No matter how angry or sad,

Lies the blossom of a pure heart,

Not evil wrong or bad.

So if you have a young child,

Be gentle wise and kind,

And treat them like an orchid,

So rare and hard to find,

Your love will be like water

To all the seeds you sow.

For they are the fairest flowers

In life's garden where they grow.

And if you know the old folks,

Be gentle wise and kind,

Their souls will soon depart us,

And leave this world behind,

They've given us the future,

They taught us what they know,

To soon become a part of

God's kingdom where they go.

This is a special love song

For all the people in the world.

Rory Block

Tuesday, September FIRST, 2009!

WOW! Is it possible that it's September already? I've been neglecting this blog, being on vacation last week and in a flurry of activity yesterday getting ready for the 1st classes and lessons of the year. They came, and what a great group of kids and parents! I'm really looking forward to this year. Ran across this quote this morning:

“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.”
―Ever Garrison

Kind of stuffy language, but you get the idea. "Activating magnets".....hmm...I like that idea. I do believe that they are they in everyone, young and old, just waiting to be activated. I'll do my best this year to bring that into fruition for each and every one of them. There is nothing like all those sets of eyes looking intently at me, wondering what new thing I'll tell them, or ask them to do. I told one class yesterday it wasn't like school, at least not always, since to demonstrate the word "forte", I asked them to shout it LOUDLY. They did a GREAT job! Loudly and with great enthusiasm. Can't wait for the next ones. Today is all private lessons, and they are a whole different cat altogether.

Does anyone think that teaching is a God-given gift, or just a learned set of skills, magnets, if you will that OUR teachers activated in us? Perhaps a combination of both? Food for thought.....

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Counting down the days! The UPS man arrived with 6 big boxes of MYC supplies that I ordered only last FRIDAY, the 14th! I was stunned. I'm always excited to get the shiny new books in their plastic wrappers, and the new bags, thinking of the new students coming in 2 weeks to begin the new year. Every year is a little different, and this morning I heard on a webinar of an MYC teacher who is teaching 19 classes this year! Again, my jaw dropped open with amazement, as to how on earth she can do that. I only have 5, hopefully 6, but also 21 private students in addition. I suppose she must teach on Saturdays as well as all through the week, and evenings. I think I'm maxed out. Too busy a schedule with no down time makes Lori a less than optimal teacher.

I would still love some Sunrise kids - that's the 3 - 5 yr olds. That class is a blast! No piano yet, but everything leading up to it. So many songs from my childhood, which do, sometimes, run through my head non-stop. One example: He's a little white duck, sitting in the water, a little white duck, doing what he oughter.....or Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me....etc. One student from last year said that the sibling of a Sunrise student would NOT settle down to anything in the car except that CD. I wonder if they're still listening to it!

Anyway, I have to go organize it all. Time's a wasting!

Until later,
Lori

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I just wanted to write quickly today and tell you about a few great sites. One is www.myc.com and within that site is my personal teacher page www.myc.com/teacher/LScheutzow. It has the current upcoming schedule and other info about the coming year. I hope to get another website up that can accomodate video and audio and put the recital videos on it. I have at least 2 years recorded digitally, so they could be uploaded easily. Well, easily for someone who really knows what they're doing. I have enough knowledge to be dangerous in the realm of computers. It all takes time to learn. Time which I am running out of.

Another site for musicians is a great music dictionary at www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary. I use it regularly. Best of all, it has pronunciations of the words, which helps those of us NOT fluent in Italian!

For sheet music, you can go to www.primamusic.com. They have the same shipping rate no matter how many things you order, so it makes sense to wait until you have a big order, or better yet, tell me what you want and I'll add it to mine.

That's all for now. I have lesson planning to do!!

Until later,
Lori

Monday, August 3, 2009

I've neglected writing for a while due to a wild and crazy anniversary weekend. It was fun fun fun, and we celebrated our 26th on July 30. Hard to believe it's gone by that fast. The summer has a mere 3 weeks left to enjoy, but also to schedule students, organize lesson plans, order materials, and generally get my act together! I don't know what the best way to get the word out, but I did get some new brochures today, and the new business cards are ordered and on their way. After 5 full years of teaching MYC, I finally get the letters MYCC after my name. Ok, it isn't PhD, but it's an accomplishment nonetheless. I've taught over 100 MYC students, and have the pin to prove it.

I've enjoyed the summer vacation, as I always do, even though I taught 8 or 9 students throughout, but I have to say I'm looking forward to starting a new year. Each year brings new challenges but new rewards. I've decided not to raise my rates this year, even though EVERYTHING around me is going up up up. I try to think of it as a gift for the students and their parents, for the investment they're making in the future. Still, next year I think I'll have to......

One perk was a lovely gift card to Trader Joe's (a cool organic grocery store) and another gift card to itunes, where I downloaded LangLang playing both Rachmaninov's Paganini Variations and Concerto #2, with a few preludes thrown in. They are SO good that listening to it while picking blueberries this morning, I picked 3 buckets - almost 15 lbs! I kind of got lost in the music and the beautiful fruit, the sunshine and peacefulness of it all. Rachmaninov goes well with almost anything, if you ask me! Here's a link to variation 18 of the Paganini, played by Lang Lang. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLQALZFW85E

He is really something to watch if you haven't already seen him. Here's a short excerpt from the Concerto #2, middle movement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG-qtaZqOqQ

Youtube is a great place to get lost in musical performances. Time to get back to work!