My hope is that, over the course of a year, my students will witness, for themselves, the transformative power of internal, positive affirmation.

As artists, we are vessels. We master our art in order to pour out our souls, to say the unsayable, to bear witness to what is. But if what we pour out comes from within, we need to look within. If we listen more carefully inside, what is being said? What are we witnessing? 

The silence was heartbreakingly long. A young student of mine had just finished playing her concerto in her lesson, and I had asked her to name one thing she loved about her playing. Silence.

Low energy, burnout, fatigue, no creative juice, resentment, overcommitment… These are all realities I have felt at one time or another in my professional teaching career due to not prioritizing rest.

If you could describe the absolute BEST musical year for yourself, what would you say? What would your imagination see? When you think about that best year for yourself, what are you feeling and where in your body are you feeling it?

Before the lesson, a parent sent me an email saying that their child suddenly had no interest in his violin piece and was very resistant to practice. This was just days before his first performance for our studio class.

“My music lessons used to be like the day of reckoning. I was always so afraid for my lesson day.” These words haunted me for several days.

“Wiggle, wiggle, freeze!” This is a game called “Raccoon Freeze” that I use with my students to help them experience the power of focusing on the present moment.