Hits and Misses (May 17-23)

Happy Memorial Day! As our nation pauses to honor the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice in order to defend our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy, I am filled with gratitude. May we never take our liberties for granted nor forget that they came at a very high price.

Now here's a look back at the week that was....

HITS

• The week has been filled with quality entertainment. The week started with a performance of Kiss Me, Kate at Playhouse on the Square that I thoroughly enjoyed. Additionally, I decided to enjoy the first full week of summer break by taking in two movies: Woman in Gold and Tomorrowland. The first film was a thrill for the mind and a moving story. The George Clooney flick was not as intellectual by any means, but was definitely a worthwhile way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon.
• I auditioned for a church pianist position this week as well. I haven't auditioned for this type of position in many years -- because I was either serving in a volunteer capacity or in a congregation that was very familiar with my skills. It was nice to go into a setting where no one knew me and allow my technique and musicality to speak for themselves. Why audition? The congregation in question is placing a high value on quality musicians and are offering a salary that reflects that vision. Not only is the money good, but they have clearly outlined what will be required of the position. Acceptable salary, clear job description, and paid vacation....that's not been my experience in these positions in the past for sure! I was the first pianist to audition for the job, so it will be a few weeks before I have any news on this front.
• On Saturday, I conducted my first studio recital with my piano students at the Beethoven Club in Memphis. I always forget what a nice space this is and fall in love with the in-house instrument all over again. The students that performed on Saturday did an excellent job and their parents were very appreciative and excited about the progress we have made in our short time together. I also played on this recital. I know there are differing opinions on this topic, but I think it is important for students and parents to hear the private instructor perform on a regular basis to clearly establish their professionalism and qualifications. Now I've established the expectation that I will play on my studio recitals from the very beginning. I'll be discussing the recital in more detail over on Collaborations later this week.

MISSES

• I was involved in a minor fender bender on Friday afternoon while coming home from the movies. I was sitting at a stop light on Madison Avenue when I was rear ended by a Ford F150. Thankfully, the driver saw me early enough that he was able to almost completely stop -- it was literally a tap that didn't jar me too much and did only cosmetic damage to the car. Still, I found myself sore for the next few days following the accident.
• After getting hit, I took Mom and Dad to dinner at Coletta's Italian restaurant to celebrate Mom's birthday. I had just visited Coletta's last week when presenting the Cole Porter lecture in preparation for Kiss Me, Kate and was very impressed with the food. My return visit was rather disappointing. Mom enjoyed the veal Parmesan but didn't particularly enjoy the tomato sauce. Dad said his dish was bland (although he's the only one to blame about that......who orders a Cajun dish and has the chef hold the spices? The waitress even warned him that there would only be pasta, shrimp, and a light butter sauce remaining).
• In the middle of the week, it came to my attention that a parent in my piano studio had not been receiving any of the communication I had been mailing to her home. That meant she knew nothing about the recital or other information contained in the studio newsletter. Upon investigation (and a phone call to the parent), I learned that the contact information provided by the academy's front desk staff was faulty and had not been updated in several years. Really? Needless to say, I was rather irritated and made it known. This single incident became the basis for this week's new acronym -- ISSP -- meaning "I See Stupid People!" Grrr! Can we just institute a policy across society that people who are incompetent and not committed to excellence will immediately be fired?
• After resolving the issue with the uninformed parent (who cancelled a planned trip in order to hear her student perform on Saturday), I was really annoyed with the flaky parent that informed me on Saturday morning after piano lessons that they would not be at the recital that afternoon. Actually, he didn't inform me.......I asked him about it point blank. I know that something else came up that conflicted with the recital because the student told me about it! While we were reviewing recital pieces in the lesson, the student told me that he hadn't practiced them very much because Dad had said he wouldn't be playing........because they were having a movie marathon all weekend long! Come on!!! What are you teaching your child about commitment and responsibility? If you had planned this all week, could you not have the simple respect to inform me? I might not like your decision, but at least I'll have more respect for you as a man to tell me in advance rather than letting me find out from your kid. Honestly, if piano lessons are just another activity to fill a slot in your already overfilled schedule then just tell me that so I will only invest the same amount of time as you are willing to give to the process. 

PROGRESS REPORT

• Cuckoo's Nest - p. 276 of 325.