jibber jabber
12.12.12
2013 is upon us. a few weeks ago i got used to writing 2012 on my checks...now i'm a year away from getting it right again. 2012 was a good year...unless the world ends on december 21. if you're reading this on dec, 22 all is good. i know the world will not end this month because i watch blue birds and gold finches eat from bird feeders every day. the blue birds...9 total...showed up about 2 months ago. somehow i see that as the universe is telling me all is good...and to be happy. i'm goin with that.
in 2012 bamboo music studios opened. for all of 2011 and most of 2012 i rented a studio space from lynn hudson with melody music studios in cary, nc. in september of this year i took over the lease and added bamboo music studios to the door and street signs. i signed a 3 year lease with options beyond that. i have peace of mind for the first time in my teaching life. i had been at burt music for 15 years and through the "00s" there was always a chance the place would close....so for years..and year after year i had to think about where i would go and how i would keep the teaching thing going. once i had moved to melody music things were better...bigger room...nice place...but i still felt anxious about the long term future. in sept, of 2012 my life settled down and 2013 now looks rosy and exciting. the location is in cary. i've added a few things to reflect my taking over the place. fresh flowers in the lobby each week...new chairs...and soon a photo gallery where my students and friends will be shown off and changed out every couple of months. the teaching idea i've always had was to be able to offer high quality teachers in every instrument. at this moment i'm working on new young guitar students and establishing aubrey walker as an instructor on saturdays. cody cunningham has begun teaching piano and in the new year he'll be taking on woodwind students. he has a great background and he's young enough to have fresh ideas. jerry mclendon has been a piano teacher in the area for 30 years and has pumped out some serious talent in that time. he's in two days a week and i'll be wanting to increase his piano teaching load. for those involved already keep these other instructors in mind if neighbors or friends ask about lessons. personally i tend to stay full based on the 4 days a week i teach....since i'm in charge of the studios i plan to make certain the teaching approach matches mine a little...help people obtain their goals and grow every bit of talent you can along the way.....and have fun.
i want to mention the link squares found in the picture this section and elsewhere. each takes you to a video link or lets you listen to a piece of music. it's probably more than obvious but i am a total novice on web stuff. the past month or so...working on this made me very aware of how scrappy, raw, un-polished it is in a lot of spots and a lot of ways. i've just tried to learn while doing it...but i know with growth comes failure and stumbles. one reason to change things was to get myself focused on trying to get it right. i set the deadline date mostly to make myself grind it all out. i see things that look like i glued it together with sticks and super glue. then again i have some great students and friends and they save the whole thing because they're cool and do good stuff. i'll keep trying to get the site cleaner and more together. keep checking it out...
harold burt died this past year. harold gave me a chance to teach at his store. he gave me a chance to learn how to teach. i still am not sure what i'm doing but i learn all the time from great students who inspire me. i got a call that harold was near death due to a massive stroke. the call i got had followed a call to the old manager then to mike mckee.....mike was in l.a. about to tape conan o'briens nighttime show. i saw some kind of transfer of power or chi from harold to a young man who had worked for him for a bunch of years and who had made a break in the industry due to his hard work. harold was all about hard work and effort. i owe that old man a debt of gratitude for helping me help others to love music in a different way than grooving on a stereo. because of harold i made dozens of friendships and connections. all of those now blend into my professional music life in a seamless way. he passed along immeasurable musical knowledge to hundreds of people and that legacy will carry on for generations. in my wildest dreams i can only hope to do a little of what he did.....to inspire others to work hard and grow....to enjoy music...to share it with others....to keep a good attitude and enjoy life. a month after his passing i was at a gas station talking about him with a man who knew harold but had missed the announcements in the paper and he was still smarting about the loss of a good man. that gentleman then said that you knew you had done alright in life if people would say good things in small huddles after your death. we swapped stories and laughed a lot. thanks mr burt.
i've slacked out on the teen shows over the last half of the year. there's a lot going on with the new place and where i want all of this to go. new things and opportunities present themselves every day and i need to sleep....so i've been putting mental resources into a few other things. this past november we had the 3rd installment of an adult showcase. it was held at the wilmoore cafe in raleigh. great place...great vibe...the show went swimmingly. expect a few shows there next year...back to sparians....marsh woodwinds...and maybe the nc museum of art. the next time to see the younger students will be late feb early march. they have all been improving on everything and in many ways. it will be one uber cool afternoon...maybe a night gig,
websites/music
youtube/video
