Studio and Life Update | A Major Blog-post

A lot has happened since I last wrote and there has been some amazing highs and some scary low moments but I'm here, I'm home, I'm safe. I have a full belly and just laughed the night away with my best friend and cousin Luisa.

I left for a ten day vacation with my dad and sister to South Carolina. We drove. It was a long drive. The beach, the sun, the pool the ocean. The fresh crab-meat -all-you-can/must-eat dinners and fried chicken mixed with sweet tea, Game of Thrones watching and a few good historical fiction books are my kind of vacation. I slept solidly for 9 hours each night and found a new sense of calmness; every night of this particularly hot southern week there'd be a thunderstorm. Our balcony overlooked the beach and the Atlantic Ocean and you could see the lightning show across the distant skies, knowing the storm would approach. The storm would bring a minute relief of the humidity and though it roared and angered the beach and waters still felt calm.

I tried to bring this feeling back......... I didn't.

I came home to what I felt like were too many loose ends. My students needed scheduling, my birthday, school starting, every DIY project I started and didn't finish (yet) was just looking at me begging to be done and I was overwhelmed. I haven't been this overwhelemed in a long time. My eyes were tired I could sleep, I could barely concentrate. I hadn't taught a lesson in over 3 weekends and with the upcoming long weekend it looked like most of my students were cancelling.

Until TODAY.

Today was one of the best teaching days of my life. I only taught 3 lessons, they all went well. 2 were piano and one was a theory (skype) lesson. My students surprised me with attitudes that exceeded my expectations, with "surprises" as S calls them, where she goes ahead in her book on her own. My other student today, also an S got a 75% on her first RCM exam and my third student of the day (another S) moved past a major hurdle in the crazy world of theory. I felt engaged, I felt useful, I felt proud and I felt honoured to be given the responsibility to guide these people into music. I almost cried tears of joy hearing my student sing and play a hymn on piano because not only was she happy and excited to show me what she had learned on her own, but because I could see her falling in love with music like I did when I was her age and damn that made me feel truly blessed.

I was also forwarded an opportunity to take on a greater musical role/responsibility at my Church that I attend and sing in. I'm hoping that this is the right time for it and that I will have the ability and time to dedicate myself to serving in this way and if I am, I will get the position.

Today felt really good after a few sleepless nights I'm going to rest easy and enjoy the long weekend to come.

Good night world.

PS. my website is now up and runnin' www.oliviamusic.ca