Think of this post as a diary entry, a cathartic rant to help cope with what is undoubtedly the worst part of being a music teacher.
This summer, we are offering group classes every other week until school resumes. As a bonus, all students whose teachers are members of the suzuki association (ISA or SAA) are welcome to attend the classes, free of charge!
We surpassed our funding goal, and we're so excited to see what comes next!
I did not realize that I was double jointed (otherwise known as 'hypermobility') until it began to adversely affect my violin playing in a noticeable- and legitimately painful- manner. It was my last year in college. To be specific, every time I curved or straightened my pinkies, they would "pop", and cause immense pain, and inflammation, that made my hands feel like they were on fire. By then, it seemed to be too late for me to fix habits in my playing that were causing me pain, so I looked for external means of stopping the pain. I ended up wearing these little splints on my pinkies, called 'Oval 8's' (pictured below), as an occupational therapist concluded that I was suffering from trigger finger in my pinkies. This configuration forced my pinkies to remain straight, effectively forcing me to learn to play without pinkies. Unfortunately, this kept my pinkies in a perpetual state of hyperextension, which was incredibly painful, and therefore quite pointless.. As my other six fingers began to pick up the slack, I started developing the same pain in my joints on those fingers, and the therapist declared that I must have trigger finger in every single finger on both hands.
When I was little, the Gibbes museum had this miniatures exhibit. It was, and still is, my favorite thing I had ever seen in any museum, ever. Everything was tiny, like the entire exhibit was the excavation of the lilliputian society, a race of teeny little people who were hiding away in the shadows in the corners of the room, ready to jump back into their homes when we weren't looking. I loved this exhibit so much, I ended up having my picture taken in it, and it was shown on the Post and Courier:
The Music Academy of the Two Rivers plans to reopen on June 1, 2020. Lessons should resume at that time, barring further announcements. We also plan to offer a new scholarship upon reopening, details below. At MATR, our mission is to bring happiness, peace, and achievement to the lives of the children of Charleston, through music. At this time, due to the influence of COVID-19 on all of our lives, we recognize that more than ever, people- especially children, who may not understand the full scope of the virus’s consequences- are in need of these things. Normally, our scholarship program is limited to applications from good samaritans who are aware of children in need; however, given the coronavirus, we are offering a special scholarship to which anyone can apply. This scholarship will give up to 10 children three full months (June, July, and August 2020) of free violin lessons, and instrument rentals. Any child under the age of 8 whose life was affected by the coronavirus is eligible to apply. The application asks for the child’s information, the parent’s information, and a 500-1,000 word statement detailing how the coronavirus has affected the child and their family’s lives. The deadline for application is May 22, 2020, at midnight. If your family suffered a loss, or even just the heavy emotional turmoil of a loved one in the hospital; if a member of your family is an essential worker or healthcare worker, who has been distanced from the rest of the family due to their job; if your family’s provider has lost their job, severely impacting your child’s quality of life; if your child themself was diagnosed with the virus; or if the virus has impacted your child and your family’s life in any other way, please apply. There are no strings attached; after these three months are over, there are no further obligations to the studio, and the child can drop out at any time with no penalties during the duration of the scholarship. We just want to help however we can, while we all heal. If you are interested in applying, the application is located here (CLICK HERE). With love, Savannah Cash UPDATE: 5/6 I thought I'd add in an FAQ, to address some of the questions that I've received. If you have any questions, please contact us through Facebook, email, or just give us a call. If only 10 people (or fewer) apply, will all of them get the scholarship? No. We will only grant the scholarship to those that we select from the applicants, and our limit is 10. How many lessons and instruments does this scholarship give? The scholarship will allow for unlimited lessons throughout June, July, and August 2020. Each student will begin with 30 minute lessons, once a week; if the teacher deems that the student can move faster, we will switch to 1 hour lessons, once a week. If the teacher deems that the student can move even faster, we can add in additional lessons as needed. As for instruments, the student will be given a violin their size when they advance to the actual instrument; the student and parent will still be responsible for the safety and care of the instrument. What is the monetary value of the scholarship? If the student does the minimum and sticks with 30 minute lessons once a week, the monetary value is approximately $400. If the student works hard, and the teacher moves them to hour long lessons twice a week or more, the value is approximately $1,400+. Essentially, this is an opportunity to really take advantage! Can I still apply if my child is already taking lessons with another teacher? We have a strict policy against poaching students from other studios. However, if you are already taking lessons with another teacher, we will take your child strictly in a tutoring position, maintaining an open line of communication with your primary teacher, so as not to overstep boundaries. What if we're not planning on continuing lessons after the scholarship ends? That's fine. There are no strings attached here- if you decide after 3 months not to continue, then you can quit. If you decide after 3 months to keep going, then we'd be happy to have you! It's up to you. This scholarship is an opportunity to bring your child happiness, peace, and achievement. It's meant to be for the benefit of the child; if it's not for you, that's fine, but we encourage you to continue if your child derives any of these benefits from music. How are you going to keep lessons safe while COVID-19 is still going on? All students and their parents will be encouraged, but not required, to wear masks. Only one parent/guardian is allowed to attend with the student, no siblings will be allowed to attend, unfortunately. Before and after each lesson, students and parents will be required to wash their hands. The teacher will guide the parent to assist the student, so there will be no physical contact. Any other reasonable accommodations requested will be considered. What's the catch? There is no catch. If you get the scholarship, you get 3 months of lessons, with no strings attached. If you want to quit at any time, you can. If you get to the end and decide to continue somewhere else, we'd be happy to give you a recommendation. If you decide at the end that you'd like to keep taking lessons with us, we'll happily welcome you in the studio. Can current students apply? And what about past students? Yes to all. Will the scholarship cover travel expenses? No. The scholarship will only cover the cost of lessons, and the instrument loaned from the studio. The parent and child will be responsible for their own travel, and any other non-lesson or instrument costs. That being said, there is no restriction geographically for this scholarship; as long as you are willing to travel the distance, you are eligible to apply. If I miss a lesson under the scholarship, can I get a makeup lesson? As long as the scholarship term has not ended (August 31, 2020), and 48 hours notice is given before the cancelled lesson, the teacher will find a time to make up the lesson. If the scholarship term has ended, or adequate notice is not given, the lesson will not be made up. I have a vacation (or some other commitment) planned during the scholarship term, can I get it extended into September, or shifted into the school year? The scholarship term will remain fixed, June/July/August. This scholarship is meant to last the summer term, so that your child has more time to dedicate towards learning a new skill- it is much easier to start the violin outside of the school year, than during the school year.
"NO" IS NEVER THE RIGHT ANSWER WHEN YOUR TEACHER ASKS, "DID YOU PRACTICE THIS WEEK?" BUT IT'S OFTEN HARD TO PRACTICE WHEN ILL.
WHO? This class is for parents and children up to 6 years old. Neither the kids nor parents need any prior musical experience- and you definitely don't need to bring an instrument! All materials will be provided by the instructor, Miss Cash, a violinist studying at the College of Charleston's in their Artist Certificate post graduate program, and the violin teacher of the Music Academy of the Two Rivers. WHAT? These classes will be 30 minutes to an hour, depending on attendance. Every class will be unique, and all classes will be drop in friendly. You can attend as many or as few as you'd like, at any point! The point of the classes is to teach the little ones everything they need to know before starting to play the violin in formal lessons. They'll learn how to hold the instrument, both the violin and the bow, they'll learn basic rhythms, form, and composition, among other essential skills. Look at this class as an optional prerequisite to taking private lessons- a headstart if your child wants to learn to play! WHEN? Starting November 2, these classes will occur every Saturday, at 1 PM! If a class is cancelled, this will be announced through the library, and on our Facebook page. WHERE? The West Ashley Public Library, located in South Windermere. The address is 45 Windermere Blvd, and you can find it at the back of the shopping center. I highly recommend grabbing lunch at the Three Little Birds first, before you head to class- it's nearly right next door! WHY? Miss Cash, the teacher, is trying to open up the studio to younger students whose parents may be hesitant to start formal lessons. This is an opportunity for parents and children to "audition" the violin, to see if it is right for them. If it isn't, no harm done, no money lost- and if it is, any students who want to start formal lessons with Miss Cash can do so with a special discount!
