Music Makers

I was approached last summer by a woman who wanted me to teach her daughter piano lessons. I wasn't so sure about the idea at the time. I taught piano lessons back in 2011, so I knew I was capable of doing it, but I was unsure if I could commit myself time-wise between working full time, going to college full time, and all my mothering responsibilities. I thought about it all last summer; I was feeling down after losing my elementary music teaching job, and having the opportunity to continue to teach music appealed to my soul. and since the woman didn't give up on her idea of me teaching her daughter, I decided I would do it. I knew I could only teach 6 students max because of my schedule (one every day after school and two on Friday mornings), and within a few months of starting lessons, I had exactly that many (3 boys, and 3 girls)! It's been wonderful for me to be teaching piano again, and I've enjoyed working with my students and watching them learn and grow. 

I had a spring recital for my students on a Sunday evening in mid-May, and four of them participated in it (Ammon and one other young boy student chose not to). I wanted to have it at the high school music room, because I wished for my students to be able to play on a grand piano. My friend John (the high school music teacher) was very accommodating and helpful, and I just loved how it all turned out!  

I love the quote that's on the original Willy Wonka movie (when he says to the kids who are licking the wallpaper that tastes like snozzberries),"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams", and I incorporated that quote into the gifts I gave to the performing students. I got them all M&M's boxes--representing "Music Makers".

Three of the performing students are in their first year of lessons, so each of them performed two songs each: one memorized song of their choice and one duet with me. The other performing student was a previous student of mine, and has continued to have lessons for years so he is more advanced, and he had two longer, harder songs.

I was proud of my students! They did a great job, and although it was unnerving for most of them to perform for the first time, I was so proud of them for doing their best!

We had light refreshments afterwards, and I chatted with all the people who came to support the piano students. I feel like it was a success and I'm looking forward to many more recitals to come!