Fly away little one

When I was in middle school, I had a friend ask if I would teach her how to play the violin. I was happy to do it, and thus I began teaching others. It has now been well over 15 years since that time, and I have loved teaching kids what I know.

I have taught the basic lessons so many times now that I could do it in my sleep. I could start about anyone interested. I must say that I tire a bit of the beginner lessons, they are very repetitive and the beginners are usually not the best at practicing.

Two years ago, I started teaching a family of three girls. The eldest had taken lessons from someone else long ago, but they wanted me to start the other two. Now, some kids are normal learners, others are really slow to progress, but the middle child of this family was amazing. She practiced all the time, she did what I told her, and over the past two years I have taken her from floundering beginner to blossoming violinist. For those who know the suzuki method, she is mid way through book 4. She can shift, plays her scales, and we have stretched her lessons more and more till we finally reached my hour limit. That hour flew by every single week.

The family is moving. To a big city, where I know she can find a wonderful teacher, but I mourn the loss. I miss her already. I will miss looking forward to her lessons as much as she did. We had fun together, especially in the past six months or so. She has truly started sounding wonderful.

When her mother told me that they were stopping lessons, both of us teared up. She thanked me for my efforts and time, and I thanked her for lending me her girls. Fly away my little ones, keep playing and progressing. I will mourn for a little while, and not because of the loss of income.