Hello everyone who actually reads this blog.
It's been awhile and I have good reason to be so late in blogging. I have a good problem: I'm too busy with my teaching and playing! What is too busy? Well, so busy that I've actually had to say no to some gigs and that I am starting a waiting list for students. This is a good problem, but here is the flip side. Music is always "feast & famine". One moment you are crazy busy and the next, it seems like no one is calling. Should I even say that I'm too busy? Hmmmm, well let's examine what happened when I mentioned that on facebook. Most were happy for me. Surprisingly, there was one fellow teacher who will remain anon that seemed to question my honesty by "competing" in a sort of agro way, stating that his studio always had room for more students and that what is "busy"? I was kinda peeved at this, but actually not surprised. It's called jealousy. Yes, I am busy as a professional drummer teaching a full (yes, I call 20+ students full) studio, running a drum line for Rex Putnam, training in a cadet line for Alder Creek Middle School, sitting in with Tom Grant, teaching at Oregon Episcopal School, playing weddings, giving drum clinics, and performing in professional musicals this year. Yeah, and I am a MOM, wife, and caregiver to my aging mother. So, hell yeah, I'm busy and very thankful for it.
Let's look at the other side of being busy as a musician. What does that mean given the above amazing list of stuff I do? Well, it means I don't always take care of my own needs like sleeping and eating and staying healthy. It all came to a head last month when I was once again in the car coming home from Oregon Episcopal. I have only a certain amount of time to get home, eat if I'm lucky, and start teaching again at my studio into the evening, often till 8pm, which is bed time and my 7-year-old son is wanting my FULL attention. Here's my what happened:
I had stopped at New Seasons and grabbed a salad roll since I knew I wouldn't be able to eat dinner until after 8pm. I had said salad roll in the car, slammed on my brakes due to some typical heinous traffic on Barbur Blvd, and lo and behold....my beloved salad roll rolls to the floor of the passenger side of the car. I looked longingly at my salad roll, just out of reach.....I was more than pissed, I was devastated. I actually pulled over into a parking lot, retrieved said salad roll and ate what seemed to be safe from dirt and dog hair. It was a new low. At that point, I actually starting crying. I was so busy, blood sugar had crashed long ago, that I was definitely NOT taking care of my own basic needs. Pathetic!
So lest I sound like too much of a whiner. I must make it clear. I am actually a good time manager. Most important, I absolutely love what I do and my students and their families. What is apparent though is that I'm doing a bit too much. I have some ideas that will ease some of the craziness. More next time on that. In the meantime, come see me drum in "It's A Wonderful Life". I'm actually taking a break from my boot camp to stay sane in December. I will be meal planning better and hopefully not eating salad rolls off the floor of my car!
xoxoxo
Rene'