Los Angeles looks crisp and clean. The colors of flowers pop now that the rain has washed the dust and dirt away. My world looks lush though it is still cold for California. I’m wearing boots and driving gloves. Sometimes, I can feel the heater in my VW. But only sometimes.
Does this shot look better brighter? It’s looks warmer too!
The extended cold season has me feeling slow. I’m constantly reminding myself what day it is. Today is Sunday. Sunday. Mustn’t forget to go to dance class. It’s March. What? A quarter of the year has passed? It feels like we’ve stalled into winter. We usually have a couple of heat waves by now. I can’t remember the last time I took the convertible top down. It’s sometimes sunny and rainy at the same time! People walk by bundled up wearing coats AND flip flops. It is a confusing time for everyone.
I remind myself to stay the course.
And teach my students to stay the course.
One had an insistent kitty during his lesson this past week. He kept his concentration and would gently brush Muffin to move aside between notes. My student smiled, enjoying the innocent distraction, and played on; regaining control of the piece. Muffin eventually took to sitting on my coat.
S: “Miss JNET, what’s the hardest piece you’ve taught a student?”
JNET: “The piece you’re working on. It is an accuracy and endurance piece and rich with emotion. It’s easy to get caught up with the technique side and get lost in the speed and be a machine but I hear you put some honest thought and emotion with your phrasing. I’m on the edge of my seat. It’s exciting to listen. Even when you make mistakes, I can hear that you’ve not lost your focus, you redeem yourself within a beat and press on. When some people make mistakes, they get hijacked by that moment and drop everything. I hear you acknowledge and move on. It’s going to be gorgeous after you smooth out the rough spots.”
My student is strong. I saw that he was wrestling with himself more than usual in his playing. I later learned that his dad’s car was stolen earlier that day and he lost a well loved guitar that was stowed in the back. He hadn’t mentioned a word during piano. He had dove into the lesson.
Despite, having his day darkened by the theft of his dad’s car and his guitar. He played with focus and unlimited forgiveness toward his cat and himself.
Rain happens... Stay the course....
JNET