Fall semester will begin Tuesday September 6 after labor day.  This year I am not teaching on labor day so Monday students will have their first Fall lessons Monday September 12.

Today, September 1,I am enjoying some time at Topsail Beach and I knew a storm was possible and it is going to happen although locals do not think it will be bad enough for us to all leave so we are staying!  The weather is gorgeous so far.

On Friday evening August 26 adult students had a very nice night at Jerry and Barbara Porter’s house. Of my 12 adult students, 7 students performed and all did very well, playing the 1902 nine foot Steinway (restored beautifully). I also got to play because I accompanied Richard Palmer who sang at Aria from the Tales of Hoffman. I did not know the piano was originally played in New Orleans!  I love playing that piano and have made a resolution to go and practice at Jerry’s one hour a week. Thank you so much to Jerry and Barbara for hosting us at their house. It is so good on so many levels to perform for each other.  Now two students have asked can they learn the pieces that one of their colleagues played.  I love that! Sorry Karsten, but no-one suggested they could learn your selection, the first movement of the Schubert Bb Sonata which you played so well.

I mentioned to everyone that we are building a new room onto the back of our house. It will be an all weather room and among other purposes it will serve as my waiting room.  After it is finished everyone will enter down the side of the house and up the stairs to the new space. This will give us more privacy in the main part of the house and will also mean I can possible teach later when I need to and I may also be able to have a few small groups play together sometimes.  At the moment I am just dreading the mess!

Once the builders start demolition, my dear neighbor and great supporter, David Dodson, is going to allow me to teach in his house where he has a very nice piano.  He lives to the right of my house at 2121 Sprunt and you will be coming in his front door.  However this will not start until the builders start and there is some vague suggestion that it might be in a week and a half – who knows?  And we are about to get a lot of rain which will hold them up again – this work was to be done over the summer but apparently permits held us up.

I will let everyone know in tons of time about when you would need to come to David’s for lessons. It will not be all day but probably between the house of 9-5 and after that I will go back to my house. Typically builders stop around 4:30.

So for the first and probably second week of Fall semester you will still be at my house 2119 Sprunt.

Hope all the students have started school well and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.  There has a been a bit of confusion about the schedule (entirely my confusion) but the version on my blog is correct (fsmstaging.net under Fall Schedule). September fees will be due next week.  I have not changed my fee which is $30 per half hour lesson.

Thank you all for learning music with Flourishing Muse Studio.