I have a very busy two weeks ahead of me. June 21st I’m going to the Washington State Music Teachers Association yearly convention and will be giving a speech, “Music in the Real World.” It’s about how to connect our students with music both in and out of the studio and to give them the tools to learn music by themselves, get good at it, and think of themselves as musicians. On July 1st I travel to give the same speech to the California Music Teachers Association then back to Tacoma on July 5th to give my presentation, “Transform Your Teaching” at the national harp convention.
It’s a lot of work writing the speeches, trying to make them thought provoking with some nuts and bolts ideas that can immediately be applied in the studio and make them fun. I hate it if someone falls asleep when I’m speaking!
I get a little nervous when I speak. Will they like me? Have they heard it before? Do I have a piece of spinach in my teeth? But most of the time I really look forward to the conventions because of all the great people I meet. I can sit down at a lunch table with 7 people I’ve never met and in two minutes we’re swapping student stories and having a great time. I love music teachers because they come to the conventions not to show off or promote their career but to learn how to better help their students. They feel like family to me.A family I can choose!