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Episode 258: What’s Working In this Season (Round 8)

Well hello there, studio teacher friends! Welcome to the Beyond Measure Podcast. Christina Whitlock here, your host and self-appointed Anytime Piano Teacher Friend. This show exists to offer you some camaraderie through the chaos of music teacher life and I am SO glad you are here. Special THANKS go to my SuperFriends on Patreon for supporting this work. Without further delay, let’s get on with the show!  You are listening to episode 258 of the Beyond Measure Podcast.

Alright, friends… it’s that time!  Today I’m sharing a rundown of several things that ARE working for me in this season of life.

If you are new to this type of episode, allow me to explain: Periodically throughout the year, I take time to reflect on TWO QUESTIONS that help me grow in my work (and in life). Very simply, I ask myself what’s working in this season, and what is not. I keep a running list of these things in my phone, adding to them when something comes to mind. Then, every quarter or so, I set aside some time to reflect on those lists. This is the 8^th time I’m sharing some of my list with you here on the podcast.

As per usual, I’m going to share some of my list of what IS working in this season with you here on the show, and then I’ll send out some things that are NOT working in this week’s Piano Teacher Confession. Piano Teacher Confessions is an e-letter I send to those on my mailing list. If you don’t currently get emails from me, this is the perfect time to sign up. Just head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/subscribe and you’ll get all the details.

So, here we go, friends: a glimpse into my list of What IS Working in this season of life:

First up, I’m giving credit to my CREATIVE TWIST on the 30-piece challenge. I shared this back in episode 232, but this year, in celebration of my 30^th year of piano teaching, I ran a 30-piece repertoire challenge with a twist. Instead of simply asking my students to learn 30+ pieces this year, they were ALSO expected to offer up a Creative Twist on each piece they learned. They had to learn it FIRST as the composer directed, but then, they had to make it their own in some way. The possibilities were endless: they could change the meter, the key, the tempo, the articulation, the melodic contour, the rhythm, the notes, whatever came to mind. To get the piece to count on their list of 30 pieces, I had to hear it both ways. Learned as written, and then altered in some way/shape/form.

I cannot tell you, friends, how beneficial I found this to be for my students. As the year wore on, it became second-nature for students to create something new out of each piece they were playing, and that was PURE MAGIC. We all have students who struggle to think outside the box and to make music outside of composer directives… but when that was the expectation for every single piece they played this year?  It got so much easier.  And here’s why that matters: when students feel capable of creating their OWN sounds at the piano? When they start to see how altering ONE aspect of their piece will result in something new? It’s pretty contagious.

The theme of my studio this year has been Play is the Point. I’ve gone all-in on the fact that true PLAY is actually the highest value we have to offer our students because they’re just not getting enough of it elsewhere. Of course, this involves a thorough understanding of what play is (and what it isn’t)… and if you’re interested in an overview of that information, you should definitely check out my resource called The Paradox of Play.  See the shownotes for today’s episode for more on that.

Encouraging – even REQUIRING students to “play” with and manipulate their pieces this year has been a terrific way for me to see how their musical brains work. It’s also been a delight to see what they come up with. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have doubled over in laughter because of how clever a student’s twist has been.

I also want to say this: even students who try to “work the system” have benefitted. For example – I have a few students who decided their “creative twists” would involve planting the damper pedal to the floor and making every piece slow and watery and whatever. Rather than tell them they could only do that for one or two pieces, I let them keep doing it. And guess what – those students learned all kinds of things about how and when to change the pedal, and I didn’t even say a word. By simply giving them space to play and experiment, they figured out a lot of things on their own. AND, after doing that for a few pieces, they got bored with that plan and started figuring out other adaptations.

Time after time I watched students solve their own problems this year through their experimentations. Even better, any time I try to move on from a piece now, my students will say, “But what about MY version?!” “Don’t you want to hear MY creative twist?!” This whole thing has taught ALL of us some really important lessons this year. Totally something that IS working in this season of my life.

Second thing that is working for me in this season of my life?  Support. Truly. Some of you know that my mom was in and out of the hospital multiple times these past few months and it’s just been a TIME. Whether I’ve been here in Indiana worried about everything going on, or camping out for lengthy hospital stays in Ohio, feeling like I was losing my ever-loving mind, I felt an absolute abundance of love and support from my own people, as well as many of you in this audience. All the emails, cards in the ACTUAL MAIL,  DM’s… I’m weirdly embarrassed by just how many of you took the time to show me your support. During our first hospital stay in My best friend since kindergarten dropped me off the care-package of all care-packages. Truly, it was a masterclass in EVERYTHING someone needs while they’re living at the hospital: dry shampoo, face wipes, disposable toothbrushes, deodorant, deodorant wipes, full body deodorant lotions, lip balm… I can’t even list it all but it was the most beautiful picture of care AND it was bountiful enough to sustain me through my next stay as well. I felt overwhelmingly loved by a very broad network of people and I recognize how unusual that is. I feel guilty because my brother – who is my mom’s primary caretaker – doesn’t have nearly the same network of support and that absolutely grieves me. As I said, I feel embarrassed somehow that I have SO much love and support when I’m not the one in the trenches with her every day like he is… but I think the only thing I can do is continue to help where I can, and remain exceedingly grateful for ALL the people rooting for me and my sweet mom. So yes – letting people show up for me and trying to express sincere gratitude for it? That’s working for me this season for sure.

Okay – those are two pretty heavy-hitters; let’s talk about something completely ridiculous, are you ready?

For my third thing that is working this season, I’m going to give a shoutout to my new favorite FLAT Hairclips. Here’s the thing: I love a claw clip for my hair. It feels easier and better for my hair than a scrunchy or hair tie. BUT: if you have long hair you know, claw clips can be difficult, AND worst of all, if you wear a claw clip, it’s impossible to lay your head back on a chair or a headrest because it sticks out. They’re THE WORST in the car. I hate having to hold my head forward because I have a claw clip in my hair. Plus, there’s a lot of internet lore telling us NOT to drive with clawclips in our hair because – if you end up in a car crash – they can end up embedded into the back of your skull. Ick. Sorry to be the one to mention it if your algorithm hasn’t served that piece of info up to you yet. 😊 Anyway, the flat claw clips are probably still an issue in that regard… but I’m here to tell you: they are lifechanging when it comes to being able to lean your head back on a headrest…. Or in a beach chair.. or whatever else.  I’ll link my favorites in the shownotes for today’s episode but yeah. Consider this your reminder that logging what’s working and what’s not is for EVERYTHING: big stuff and small stuff.

I’ll go back to something pretty big for number four on my list today: I’m going to Iowa!  Ha – maybe that doesn’t sound that exciting, but as I mentioned last week, the Iowa Music Teachers Association asked me to come serve as their featured Pedagogy Clinician for their state conference in June and I am SO excited about it.  I put it on my What’s Working list because their featured performer for the conference is Carter Johnson, who I just love. It’s so funny because – last summer on this show – I had a conversation with Diane Hidy and I even mentioned how Carter Johnson was the highlight of the Van Cliburn competition for me… and now I get to present on the same conference with him. I’m grateful for the invitation and SO excited to make new teacher friends in Iowa. I had to miss MTNA in Chicago while I was in the hospital with my mom so I’m counting on the Iowa MTA to fill up my teacher camaraderie cup. It’s been a great opportunity for me to put together  a new session on maintaining excellence in teaching while still HAVING FUN.

Number five on my list is something silly and fun.  I’ve recently discovered an art practice called Zentangles online – thanks, algorithm – and they are proving to be a wonderful meditation practice and creative outlet. Basically, Zentangles are simple, repetitive drawings – mostly all black and white – and they create really neat effects. For me, it’s the perfect reminder that art is so much more about the process than the end result. I tend to get very fixated on perfection and what I’m going to do with these projects when they’re done, but instead, this practice allows me to draw line after line and circle after circle and just appreciate the process of making art. It’s really easy to scroll online and watch video after video of people creating their Zentangles… but I’ve learned to use that as a prompt to get up, go sit at the table, turn off the phone, and draw one myself.

So there you have it, friends: Five things that ARE working for me in my current season of life: Creative Twists, Networks of Support, Flat Hair Clips, Iowa, and Zentangles. I’m DYING to know what has made YOUR list this season, so feel free to send me a message, or leave a comment on Spotify podcasts and share!  I’ll be in your inboxes on Thursday with a rundown of what’s NOT working. Don’t forget to check out today’s shownotes for all kinds of links that apply to today’s show.

I also wanted to offer a heads-up today that, for me, this summer is ALL about time with my children. I’m going all-in on them these next two months and part of that is going to be reflected here on the podcast. You’re going to hear quite a few replays of previous episodes this summer.  Something I’ve learned in my own life is there’s a lot of value that comes from re-listening to podcast episodes. I promise to choose good ones for you to enjoy again. It’s funny because – of course – once I made the decision to write less this summer, my brain absolutely EXPLODED with new ideas for show topics. That’s how it goes, and, actually, why it’s so important to give yourself breaks to regenerate.

So, thanks, friends for hanging with me for ENCORE replays this summer.   SuperFriends on Patreon will continue to meet for Teachers Teaching Teachers on the last Friday of each month, so if you miss updates in real time, that’s where you can find me!

Before we head off, let’s enjoy a toast together. Raise your beverage with me now!

Studio Teacher Friends from all around the world – today we remember how important it is to stop and pay attention to what is working and what is not. May we take just a few minutes to reflect on the things that are making life at least a little better in these crazy times we’re living. Cheers to us, my friends!  Hear, hear.

That’s a wrap on Episode 258, friends!  I’ll be in and out this summer but I hope you enjoy our Encore Replay episodes this summer. Onward and upward we go!