accordion repair
I was working with some kids and playing accordion. Later, a few wanted to touch it. They were fascinated. They’d press a note, I’d move the bellows, and the thing […]
teaching
sign on the window
There is a sign I noticed driving into London today, a sign for a head shop – the title of the store actually. Large posters of royalty in the windows, […]
ostensible and lean
student for whom english is not their 1rst language, worried about whether she makes sense, wants my help checking her lyrics. how can anyone improve upon gold like this. He […]
teaching secrets
Sometimes new students asked her if she could just show them her secrets, like how does she play that passage or how does she make that technique work. It automatically […]
the marking game
Marking assignments. There is a distance between good writing and not so good writing. Probably I should mark the good writing higher than the not so good writing. Probably the […]
in your head
I have many dead friends on Facebook. Sometimes I look at their old profiles now cluttered with advertisements for sun glasses and vacation getaways. We had a discussion in class […]
at the open stage
young guy in class played a song to everyone. they applauded and 3 others shared their feedback which was how much he sounded like someone else. this was meant as […]
class strategy
set list is nice, safe, structure, but often different than the way it was in imagination. actually it never ever goes the way it goes in the imagination. preparing for […]
gloria
There is a harp in Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. It came on the radio while I was driving. Probably heard it a few million times yet only last 2 […]
preparing mus3735A
There are 8 reflection papers in the course, 400 words but students can also submit songs about the assignment instead of written papers if they choose. #1 is reading the […]