Nanny Music #27 – Balance life

Tags

Child, Homer Simpson, Lia, Moscow, Nanny, Teacher, Television, United States

Lia told me she would like to learn gymnastic stuff, well, maybe that’s not a good idea to add it in her busy life. One thing I know about gymnastics, balance. Wonder if she can borrow this idea for her learning, or maybe she already implant the idea and using it to organize her schedule. She told me her project has been used as a example to show how a good work can be done  by her school teacher. And she is progressing well in classical music as well as fiddle. She hand out with friends and watch lots TV on the days she is free, and still get As in school, even advanced a grade in math. Um, she seems balance well in all area. That make me think, we are told to get all 5 groups of food to balance our nutrition, why not balance the activity or jobs we do? I never think practice 5 hours a day 7 days a week is good for a musician. As Homer Simpson said, “No beer, No TV make homer crazy.” I will say, all work, no leisure make everyone crazy. Even a musician need some balance in life.

Nanny Music # 17 – the kid’s view

Tags

Arts, Cello, Education, Educators, K through 12, Lia, Star War, Star Wars, Teacher, United States, Violin

When we drive by piles of logs, Lia show her sympathy, “poor dead trees” I reminded her, “Your violin and cello are made of dead trees.” She replied, “That’s different, my instruments can be used many times. Making papers is waste.” “So we need to recycle them.”

Her cello teacher usually good at teaching kids in kids words, he would pretend using the sword from Star Wars ‘zoom, zoom’ cutting the thumb stick out the cello neck so she won’t choke the cello. Or tell her don’t ruin Mrs. Smith’s garden when she put her bow too close to the finger board. Her violin teacher would tell her and Kai, it’s just like the Canucks always go to the gym when they don’t have games, practice scales is violinists’ work out.

Doesn’t matter how good the teachers can play or teach, if they talk in the kid’s language, the youngster usually accept better and show more interest what they are learning. That usually the way we choose their teacher. They might not have most famous teachers. But a teacher fit their taste and able to fix their problems in a kid friendly way is the best for them. And we are lucky to find some around.