Last Saturday

I've started giving violin lessons! Got a call a few weeks ago from Ed who owns Cassell's Music on Maclay in San Fernando (Where they filmed Wayne's World). The violin teacher he had was leaving and he needed someone to take over the lessons. I got to thinking it would be an extremely great experience for me, so I told him I would be willing to do it! He knows I have no prior teaching experience, but he goes to PBC and hears me play and he's been so great and so encouraging about the whole thing. So, I currently teach on Saturday mornings from 9-1. Half hour private lessons. All the students are beginners, which is great for me. Already I have stories of cuteness to share and it's only been 2 weeks.

The youngest student is 5. His name is Steve. His violin is this [spread hands about 10 or 11 inches apart] big. His mom was talking to me and she said they asked Steve about me and he told them he really liked me. She said he normally cries when he gets a substitute teacher at school because he normally doesn't like new teachers and gets uncomfortable, so it's kind of a big deal that he likes me and is comfortable with me. That made me happy.

There is a 9 year old boy, named Calvin, very cute. He sat down and just chattered away. I had to keep interrupting him to get him to play his violin. He told me that he had been playing for a reeeeeeeeeeeealllly really long time.... 9 weeks. I thought that was funny.

I'm really enjoying this work. If a student can't make it to his/her lesson then I just hang around the store.

Last Saturday was awesome because the drummer from Billy Joel was there.
Liberty Devitto.



He was the drummer of the band for 30 years. He had his drums all set up in the shop and was giving a clinic to the kids in the area. He was out promoting a band camp thing.. (I now forget the title of it) where the kids show up.. get some instruction and then are put together into a band so that they can learn to play with other musicians. They learn to keep up, they learn to play appropriately and such things like that. It's a cool idea.


Liberty was lots of fun. Made me laugh a lot. I tried recording some of his playing with my cell phone, so I got like 15 seconds recorded but I don't know how to transfer it from cell phone to blog. He was a very enjoyable drummer. He says he became a drummer so he "could get chicks." He said "in High School he was not athletic, and to top it off he wore glasses.. so how were girls ever supposed to notice him. Well one night he was watching TV and The Beatles were on and the cameras showed the audience and he saw girls standing on their chairs and crying over these 'not so good looking fellas' and thats when he knew he was gonna be a musician."


Long story short. I like Cassell's. It's where I got my very first violin all fixed up so I could learn how to play it and it is where I got my current violin and now I get to be around and learn from and experience great people.