5 Things I am Loving This Week–August 28, 2015 Edition

This post was originally published on August 28, 2015 so links and resources may not be current.
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​I’ve been experimenting with replacing my weekly round-up of violin teaching resources with another post, but you know, I missed it. So we’re back! I hope that’s cool. Let me know in the comments if you prefer two straight-up blog posts each week. I want to bring you guys the best of what’s out there, so let me know what is working—and more importantly, what isn’t.
Here’s what’s going on in my neck of the woods.
I am so excited because one of my best friends is flying out from Baltimore tonight to see me. We haven’t seen each other in the flesh for five years! We haven’t seen each other since we graduated from Indiana University in 2010.  That is a long time ago.  We kept in touch over Skype, and now she is coming out to Utah to visit the babies and me. I am so pumped. You don’t even know.
I also have to give a big shout out to Bruce who set up our second crib so that I could get Graham out of the pack ’n play in our room! Yay! I’m getting some sleep now, which is awesome because I have a few before-school students.
Okay, okay, I know. Let’s get to the good stuff.


Five violin teaching resources (or other random stuff) that I am loving this week:1. Who doesn’t love Bach Chaconne? If you don’t, I am sorry, but there is something seriously wrong with you. For some reason, I hadn’t listened to it recently, and I pulled it up on youtube last night and, I don’t know, it just gives me chills. I forgot how much it affects me. It is some powerful stuff, y’all. Here’s a few recordings of Chaconne to help you connect with the divine. Seriously, that’s what it does for me.




2. I have been playing a fun back-from-summer game with my students this week. I was inspired by this game from Teach Piano Today. I just made up yes-or-no questions about their summer on the spot (some were very silly.) If the answer was yes, the student played a perfect octave.  If no, then they played a minor second. It could be anywhere on the violin, but not two in a row the same. It was a hit! It also helped me get to know the kiddos a little better, which is always a plus.
3. Facebook Groups. I have created a closed Facebook group for my violin studio. I am just loving it. All of my studio parents are in it, and we can share thoughts, inspiration, questions, pictures and video without worrying about the whole world being able to see it. I highly recommend doing this for your studio. Everyone is on social media nowadays, the more present you are in the home-life of your parents and students, I imagine the better practice will be.  If you are looking for great content to share on your studio Facebook group, but don’t want to spend hours online, follow me on Facebook.
4. Artistworks.com. I finally bought a membership in Artist Works, and I am so excited about it. I love having violin lessons to keep me accountable, and to keep my skills up, but with my two babes, I just don’t have time for a weekly lesson with a top teacher in SLC. It takes me an hour to get down there, and an hour back, so it’s a three-hour excursion. I am already away from my kids enough while I am teaching, and I just can’t justify it financially either. I think Artist Works is going to be the perfect solution. Check it out if you are interested in getting personalized instruction from a top-tier violinist in your own home and on your own time.
5. I know this isn’t really a violin teaching resource, but it will make you smile. Watch it before you begin teaching so you can start with a happy attitude.