Music Lessons on Wednesday!

Okay, it's a full Wednesday and I'm getting used to it. I had a new student, a boy I knew from the elementary school where I was the vocal music teacher for seven years. He is now in 5th grade and I knew him right away, along with his little sister who is now in 3rd grade. He will take guitar from me on Wednesdays and his sister will return on Thursdays for beginning piano! He's a LEFTY! YIKES! Not quite sure how I will handle it, but I have read that if possible a lefty should learn the right handed way...that way they can play their friends guitars, or try them out at the stores,etc.... very few guitars are strung left-handed... Anyway, I am having them speak to the local music store and see what they say.... He has never been involved with any kind of music so we are learning to read music as well!

After his lesson I was supposed to have a 4:30 pm lesson, but they had to cancel due to illness.... Then my 5:00pm lesson came and she stayed for an hour.... part violin and part beginning piano! She's so open to learning. Her mother calls her a soldier because she is so disciplined! I have to agree! An amazing child, I told her she should be cloned! A fun afternoon of music!

After lessons I enjoyed some wonderful Chicken tortilla soup that I had made yesterday! I am now going to turn on American Idol and enjoy some fun there. I already saw who is leaving on my yahoo news, but I still enjoy the show!

Bob is in bed already watching basketball, so I am on my own!

singing a gig March 26th 2010

A good gig on Friday in Antioch. It was happy hour and everyone enjoyed their beverages and snacks. I was asked again by the fellow that sits in the back who reminds me of Don Amichi if I would learn the Eydie Gorme song "If You Came Into My Life".... of course if I can find the arrangement that works for me! I love singing Eydie's songs!

The woman that I have met for the first time about 8 times so far introduced herself again. She is a beautiful woman and always dressed in a lovely outfit with jewelry to match. Obviously she's part of their "memory care" unit and just can't remember me month to month... She's very gracious and always so sweet to me.

Let's see.... The woman who's vocal chords have been affected by a stroke was there. She's a sweety who talks in a very loud tone and drives the other residents mad! The guy in the wheelchair who is as sharp as a tack stuck around to have some visiting time...he's from San Francisco, grew up there as a kid...lots of good stories.

All in all a good show with a full crowd. They are a quiet group overall, but so kind and seem to enjoy the music.

Lessons, lessons...

It's funny...but I was hoping for more students a few weeks ago, and then out of the blue I've ended up with five more lessons! A family from out of town just moved to San Ramon and got my name from somewhere...they can't remember, but I'm guessing it was from the House of Woodwinds who give my name out for various lessons. The family came by the house to meet me in hopes of signing up for piano lessons. (I'm not much of a piano player and don't pretend to be so, but I can give beginning keyboard/piano lessons and the basics of learning music) Once they reach a certain point, they must move on to someone who is focused on piano. Anyway, we had a lovely visit and they arrived at the end of another student's piano lesson and were able to hear him play. After our chat they decided to have their student take piano and violin! I'm excited because this is a nice family and the girl is very talented, plus they live close by.

Then I added a new guitar student who is in the 6th grade. I remember her from Greenbrook when she attended there. She is a singer as well and would like to be able to sing and play, (my speciality).... A few days after she began her lessons one of her friend's mother emailed me regarding lessons as well for her son! I was able to email her back info about myself and included the link to my website. Now not only her son wants to take guitar lessons, but her daughter wants to take beginning piano! So all in all, it was a fruitful week to gather more students!

Now finding the time to fit these lessons into my schedule is the trick. I don't teach on Tuesdays as I am busy with my grandchildren. Fridays are out because most of my singing gigs are on Friday afternoons, so I will add them in where I can during the week plus squeeze in another Saturday lesson. Of course I can cancel any of my lessons if something comes up or re-schedule...I love the flexibility!

I've got a gig this afternoon in Antioch.... I will be singing during their Happy Hour which is always fun.

Singing March 19th Villa San Ramon

Sang for the Wine & Cheese / March Birthdays celebration at the Villa on Friday afternoon from 3 - 4 pm. It was a wonderful time and all the residence loved their various beverages and snacks. A birthday cake was provided as well for the birthday people to share with all. One of the women celebrating her birthday introduced herself and informed us that she was still 90 because her actual birthday wasn't until next week.... love it! I visited with this particular woman after the show, not only did she look about 70 years old, but was dressed in a lovely pants outfit and shared that she still drives, shops and enjoys life. I asked about her own parents and if they had also lived long lives and she was pleased to share that her parents lived to the ripe old age of 89 and 90! I think the force is with her!

I decided to sing a few St. Pat songs to get started and then went to my usual program which included, Come On A My Place, Dancing Cheek to Cheek, I've Got Rhythm, Stormy Weather... The audience at the Villa is animated and fun. It makes for a very pleasurable singing experience for me and hopefully the audience feels it!

A great day of singing!

St. Pat's Day

Had a fun day singing a gig at the Pinole Senior Center on St. Pat's Day. They had about 200 people attend their lunch and it was so fun singing for them while they ate and enjoyed the day. They were very appreciative and generous with their compliments and applause. I sang about 20 minutes of Irish songs then went to my regular program. That place really knows how to put on a special lunch for their members. They serve wine, beer, and margaritas for an extra fee, but I think this makes it more of a social event and really brings in lots of people!

While at home during the same day I took a few pictures of our backyard and uploaded them to my computer. Then I took a video of me singing the Irish Blessing. I used my Vegas Software program to put the singing and pictures of the backyard into a file and uploaded it to You Tube and shared it on Facebook! I love the thought of someday my great-grandchildren can hear me singing...Plus I think it's fun to share with my friends, like giving them a personal card!

Violin Lesson

Yesterday I taught violin to a great kid in 7th grade. He has a funny sense of humor in a sarcastic way and really not that interested in the violin. He's very honest about that fact that he never opens his violin case to practice and only plays when he is with me. He played trumpet in elementary school but has given that up to be in drama. I enjoy our time together and totally understand where he's coming from. I try to make the lessons as enjoyable as possible and still teach the vocabulary of music (I remind him that these words will help him in a SAT test someday) and understanding the fundamentals of playing the instrument. We sight read music yesterday and I am always surprised at how well he can pull it off. He knows more than he thinks he does. He's very respectful and it is so much fun to TRY to get him into the violin!

A beautiful Sunday

Was up early this morning and took Bob to the airport. We really missed that hour that was taken away by Daylight Savings time.

Worked most of the day in the backyard with trimming bushes in the far end of the yard and planted a few more vegetable seeds in containers. From the seeds planted last Sunday I am finally seeing Bib Lettuce sprouting up! Hooray!

Taught Two Music Lessons Today

Started the day out teaching violin to a 4th grade girl. She is struggling, but we still have lots of fun together learning about music and enjoying the violin. She has an excellent ear and a good singing voice, so is thrown off many times by thinking she is on the wrong note but only because her finger is a little off on the fingerboard. I love her spirit and willingness to keep trying and she has a fabulous sense of humor...she told me she got it from her dad!

After the violin lesson Derek arrives for a (keyboard) lesson. He's in the 2nd grade and is an amazing child. I am friends with his family and explained that I really don't teach piano as it is not my main instrument. We settled upon introduction to keyboard and this would give him a chance to learn how to read music. He has incredible finger memory and remembers everything I tell him about music. He loves the classics and enjoys hearing the stories about the various composers and why they wrote the music. When he plays various pieces it sounds like he's played for years, but it has only been one year and most of that time he didn't have a piano at home and never practiced! I've told his family that he will need to see a "real" piano teacher starting this summer because he has the talent to be awesome!

Great day!

Gig 3/12/10

Sang in Danville today... This retirement facility is filled with a fun uplifting staff! I sang from 3-4 pm which is their Happy Hour! The huge room filled with a fireplace, grand piano, high ceilings and regal columns looks more like the lobby of a Hilton or Marriott Hotel. The residents are seated in comfy chairs and small wood tables are placed near them to place their wine (in real wine glasses) and treats. I've seen Happy Hours like this in many places where I sing, but what makes Diablo Lodge unique is that the activity director dances and interacts with the residents while I am singing. Among the plentiful staff there is a man who works there, I think he's an all around helper which includes driving the van for field trips, etc... anyway, he attends Happy Hour and dances with many of the women including the director. The residence love it and so do I! It's almost like having a floor show in front of the area where I am singing! They were all lovely and I had a lovely conversation with a woman who turned 100 last year.... Of course she was beautifully dressed right down to her pearls. She told me that she has had a long wonderful life and so happy I was part of it! Talk about humbling.

I will be up late tonight picking Andy up from the San Francisco Airport. He has been on a job interview in Minneapolis. They flew him back on Wednesday for a Thursday/Friday session. Can't wait to hear all the details of what transpired during his time there.

Gig Thursday 3/11/10

I sang a show yesterday at a retirement home in Antioch. It's a regular monthly show and I have gotten to know many of the residence. They are extremely welcoming to me in their own quiet way. There are unique personalities that are fun to interact with.

Being that it's close to St. Pat's Day, I did a 20 min. set of Irish tunes. They especially enjoyed “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “Who Threw the Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder” :-)
A guy who always sits in the same chair in the back and looks sorta like Don Amichi (old movie star for you young people) always gives me a kiss and hug and I leave smelling like his cologne. He had requested that I learn “I've Got a Crush On You” which I did, and every time I sing it he gives me special applause! Yesterday he asked me to learn another one by Edie Gormet, but for the life of me I can't remember which one! I'll have to look through her songs and hopefully it will come to me.

Also special is a fellow named Dave who usually waits for me by the door, he's very spirited and sharp. I sang a song by Perry Como called “Magic Moments”.... some of the lyrics say “The time that the floor, fell out of my car, when I put the clutch down!” After the song Dave yelled out that it must have been a Toyota! He's hilarious!

A man who has requested “Tiny Bubbles” every month for the past two years.... told me that he thought I sang it last month and could I please do it again! Of Course!
There are just so many sweet people, hopefully I can share more stories...