New (School) Year's Resolutions
Well, summer is over.
This sentence usually occurs somewhere in my brain in late July/early August with a fair amount of trepidation. Not that I don’t love what I do, I really do and can’t imagine doing anything else, but I do a LOT. It can get very overwhelming, so when the end of the summer rolls around I’m excited but also a bit of me is dreading the grind. But this year is different.
This year is different, because last year was different.
I had a weird summer, to say the least. The first two weeks started off like all the others - a huge sigh of relief followed by relaxation, spending time with friends and family, and more than my fair share of coffee. But then a weird feeling began to set in; I was feeling anxious and stressed. I couldn’t stay on a daily routine and my life just felt like a huge mess. I practiced, I taught an online course, I spent time with family, I attended four weddings…so it wasn’t like I was doing nothing, and it wasn’t like I didn’t have time to relax. I was just…stressed, even though I had much less going on.
I think what bothered me was that we had our first year back in person here in Texas after COVID-19 shut everything down. Zoom teaching was horrible, and I never want to go back to time when that is the only way I teach, so last year was just wonderful. Busy, stressful, overwhelming at times, but wonderful. Many long tone exercises were practiced and to be able to hear my students practicing and performing live was a blessing and I was viscerally aware of how fortunate I am. Then the months of May, June, and July took that away. Perhaps part of me was grieving.
Resolutions
Now here I am again, excited for the start of the new school year. The difference is that I have no angst about the absolutely massive workload that is about to fall on my shoulders. I am just grateful. Like any musician, I know that striking while the iron is hot is a key skill, so I’ve decided to capitalize on my emotional energy to create some New (School) Year’s Resolutions, and I’d like to share those with you:
Warm up every day before leaving the house. Tuesdays through Fridays this means I am in my office at 5:00am playing long tones. I’m yawning thinking about it, but it would be nice to bring my best self to my 7:00am lessons.
Perform or be out in the community at least once a month. I need to be out in Houston performing, teaching master classes, or assisting others in doing so, attending concerts or recitals, supporting my colleagues, etc. August and September are already covered, so I’ve got to look ahead to Oct. - Dec. Let me know if you’ve got a gig I can hear or need assistance with one!
Have a disciplined evening routine. Like I said, last year was stressful and I typically came home, spent some time with my son, and then crashed to bed. I am teaching an online course and have to stay on top of the administrative side of lessons - keeping track of billing, answering parent emails, etc. A structured end to the day will facilitate this.
Along with number 3 - go to bed at 10:00. Every night. I’m a human. I need sleep. I’m a human. I need sleep. I’m a human. I need sleep.
So that’s where my headspace is at. I hope you are as excited for August as I am. And perhaps it’s a good reminder that we don’t have to wait for January every year to make a change. In grad school one of the most important lessons I learned was the importance of making small. daily improvements - not just in a skill, but also by improving yourself or your outlook. Time to apply the same lessons yet again…it always seems like we’re learning the same life skills over and over, doesn’t it?
What are some of your goals? Is there something about your life you’d like to do better? Answer in the comments, or just in your head. If you’re a teacher have a great year, and if you’re not I hope the rest of your year is wonderful!