Hello everyone!
Just a few words about being busy. I am right now, about to be very busy and am very thankful for it! I only have a few openings left for piano or drum students. Yes. Really this is no fib. I have 16 private drum students, 3 up at Oregon Episcopal, and 9 in the Drum Line that I direct at Rex Putnam HS. I only say that because sometimes I think some teachers say they are truly full in their schedule when they are not. So yes....I only have a couple openings left and of course summer is a different story....
I also have been:
- Subbing for band classes up at OES
- Tracking keys and drums for an upcoming Here Comes Everybody album
- Tracking some drums for a lovely Canadian Singer-Songwriter
- Learning songs for an upcoming wedding I'm playing piano at (wedding season is gearing up)
- Sitting in with Tom Grant's and his amazing band at the Blue Diamond on a few Thursdays here and there
- And coming up in Apri/May I will be doing approximately 30 shows at the Broadway Rose Theatre as a pit drummer. The show is the "Andrew Brothers" http://www.broadwayrose.org/shows/andrews-brothers and I get to play many 40's standards on kit with a trio. Basically, I will be running around like a chicken from rehearsal to rehearsal and event till May 20th.
All this and I am happy to be busy. This teaching/playing business is usually feast or famine. It's nice to be able to feast once in awhile, although it makes for a very busy schedule and I'm sure my six -year-old boy, Emerson, will miss me. I love to play and it's nice to be able to get paid for what I do and what I have studied so hard for in school. I can honestly say I am actually using ALL of my music degree smarts right now! Ha.
However: Don't think for a second that I'm burnt out, because I am not. I love to play and the more I play, the better I get, and the better I get, the more gigs I get....and so on and so on. Even though I am busy, though, I have not ARRIVED: I continue to better myself through advanced lessons and going to see other drummers play is like a drum lesson for me. I also feel lucky to have a wide variety of students and I enjoy learning from them as they hopefully enjoy coming to take in the information I am heaping on them.
Come see the musical, tickets are selling like crazy and they've already added more shows! See you out there!
Rene'