Always Playing Catch Up

Dear Parents,

    Nearly three weeks ago the very next thing on my to do list was writing this. Then things happened. Then I had to get on with getting Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra going. That's happening now, so finally I can start work on getting us going. I'm sure that we all have pandemic problems, so I'll skip any excuse making and move right on to I'm sorry I've taken so long.
    Thank you to the students that contributed to our August recital/video. There is a fairly decent version of it on SYSO's Facebook or YouTube pages now if you'd care to check it out. While that was a rather harrowing day for us, it was invaluable going forward, because it's going to be a while yet before we're doing plain old concerts again, so we are going to be using the internet more. We learned a great deal, and the next such production will be 100% better.
    The last time this was next on my list I wanted us all to get together and work out a way for us to work. A parent was willing to host us in his nice patio space and I would still like to do that if it is all still OK. But I know time is wasting, and if a cursed Zoom meeting can get us going more quickly, then I want to set one up for us. I can make myself available any time but Wednesdays and Sundays, so if you all can agree on any time during the five remainders I will get it going. We need to do a little efficient communicating now, please.
    Where things stood when last we were planning is that I was going to start by proposing a 30 minute weekly Zoom private lesson with me for each student and one hour on Monday in person at CUMC in the music room upstairs. Give this some consideration, please.
    Now I am just a poor musician that had to repeat math classes in school, so I will be bringing Cindy from SYSO into our meeting to work out costs and all that. I will also invite Miss Kathy because she knows what's what around CUMC and our district and there wouldn't be an Enduring Strings program without her.
    So please take time to look at your schedules and let me know that you want to meet, and when and how. I do still hope.
    Thanks,
    Mr. David

Join Our SYSO Benefit

Greetings. This pandemic has made things hard to plan. It's made following through with plans pretty hard, too. (I'd have to give it one half star. I have had to learn a lot, just so I don't get any further behind, so that's where the half star comes from.) It also makes a lot of nice people say no to the most reasonable plans one can concoct.

So

On August 9th, everything else as yet TBD, the Forsman-Sondag Duo, yours truly and Melinda Sondag, will be giving a recital. It will be a benefit for the Suburban Youth Symphony, the parent/partner organization behind Enduring Strings. We are asking you to prepare something for that recital. We will see how the summer goes. Some time in early/mid July we will have to be making a lot of serious decisions to make this all happen. But the whole thing will be live streamed and recorded for posting anywhere it may be shared. I have learned that I can't say for sure anything definite beyond this, for now.

Not important. I am all about you covering yourselves in glory on August 9th.

To that end, I want to arrange regular lesson times every Friday. Let's start by saying, say from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. So I ask you to check, see if you can work with this time window, and then tell me what half hour you would like to have. I will set up recurring Zoom sessions at those times. If not, let me know. Wednesday before 2:00 is going to be the only reliable fallback, though.

We also need to work on getting the proper size instruments, because some of us may have been growing a bit, and we should make a swap before the benefit. But that is secondary to our lessons.

Get back with me, and we'll start regular Fridays this week.

Yours,

Mr. David

All Right, Let's Catch Up

Greetings. I have neglected us and this blog for a very long time, while other "should be done already" things overwhelmed me. The school year is coming to an end and we should be basking in the glow of our well done Tea performance. Instead, we have what we have.

These little videos are the beginning of what will become a steady stream. I am not letting any of you go without a fight.

The last one is where I want to do some playing with you guys when we finally get some kind of go-ahead. It sounds great because of all the glass and brick, yet there is room enough that we might be safe. If you have any pull in town, please use it to help me get permission to use this space.

So now, get ready, because invitations to do some Zooming will be hitting your mailboxes very shortly. I miss you guys and look forward to catching up with you and making violin part of your novel virus survival routine.

Love and Peace from your teacher (and friend - I know what Miss Kathy says, but she's my friend and teacher, so she'll understand just this once)

Mr. David