June 10, 2005

One of my last students

It's hard to imagine that I'm simply dragging this body about, even as it looks (half-way) quite normal. I'm just returned from prodding and insisting that my good young student actually play in tune. She can do it. She has taken many steps to aquire some skills. I begged her to go to another teacher last summer but she and her mother insisted on continuing lessons. I just feel so guilty because, no matter how instructive my advice might be, the substance of private classical music instruction is one-on-one demonstration. I demonstrate clumsiness and inertia and making do techniques. It's a being that is not for imitation (unless necessary due to circumstances).

Inertiatics need representation too. This way of being is not by choice. I used to teach 35-45 students as I held 4 other major jobs (prinicipal cellist of a regular orchestra, cellist of a trio, working with a violin maker, going to grad school, free-lancing including touring . . .) At least two, full-time jobs is more my style. (Not any more.)

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