For those of you who haven't seen on Facebook, I got a new puppy!!!!! A little puppy pug, who I named Otis. I already have a "Milo," so I always wanted to get him an "Otis" for the complete package! (For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the movie "Adventures of Milo and Otis." Order it on demand if you haven't seen it, because it is the best move ever!!!)
It was a bit spur of the moment...but he was the last of the litter and he needed to find a home. My class every Tuesday is a "hybrid course," (only show up every other week), and it happened to be an off week. The drive was 3.47 hours away (and easily 8 hours round trip with the stops and such), but man was it worth it. My friend, Jimmy, was nice enough to accompany me on the journey since he was off work.
Otis was waiting for me in the middle of nowheresvilla, PA.. Beautiful place, but seriously, in the middle of nowhere. More specifically, it was around 45 minutes from Harrisburg, in a very, very, Amish area. In fact, his owners were Amish, which I had no idea about. Aren't Amish people supposed to not use electricity? How were they texting me, and how did I find out about them online in the first place? Either way, it was interesting to get a glimpse of their lifestyle. When Jimmy and I got there, we saw the horse carriage parked in the garage. There were several puppies of different breeds outside in cages. An Amish lady came out and led us into her home. When we walked into their log cabin home and it was pitch dark. No lights anywhere. Their entire family was eating dinner in silence. I never realized Amish people had an accent. It was difficult to understand what they were saying! Then, in comes Otis! He was a wobbly little thing. Extremely cute. I asked to meet his parents. I felt terrible for ripping him apart from his mommy. I promised her I'd take good care of him and I intend to keep that promise!
Honestly though, the potty training is a little rough. I'm trying to teach him how to use a puppy pad and he just doesn't get it. Any suggestions??
I could obsess over Otis all day, but we better get started. Easing your nerves before a recital tip #8:
Let's think about who the audience is for a typical recital. Perhaps a bunch of parents, siblings, and grandparents. If you play a piece, do you think they will really know if a note is "out of tune" or not? Or perhaps, do you think they will know if you accidentally skip a line in the music, per say, or skip a note?
The answer is: Some will, but most will not.
These people are just happy to be there to enjoy some music and watch their own family member/friend. They realize they are not at a professional symphony concert! Just try to keep in mind that while your expectations of yourself should be high, they still should be reasonable. If you mess up, it's really not that big of a deal. The sun will still set and rise...and all will be OK! Sure, if you're playing a familiar tune that everybody knows, that increases the likelihood of them knowing if or when you play a wrong note. However, if you're playing some classical piece that they may have heard once in their life, odds are, you're in the safe zone.
Til next time
~Givi Girl
It was a bit spur of the moment...but he was the last of the litter and he needed to find a home. My class every Tuesday is a "hybrid course," (only show up every other week), and it happened to be an off week. The drive was 3.47 hours away (and easily 8 hours round trip with the stops and such), but man was it worth it. My friend, Jimmy, was nice enough to accompany me on the journey since he was off work.
Otis was waiting for me in the middle of nowheresvilla, PA.. Beautiful place, but seriously, in the middle of nowhere. More specifically, it was around 45 minutes from Harrisburg, in a very, very, Amish area. In fact, his owners were Amish, which I had no idea about. Aren't Amish people supposed to not use electricity? How were they texting me, and how did I find out about them online in the first place? Either way, it was interesting to get a glimpse of their lifestyle. When Jimmy and I got there, we saw the horse carriage parked in the garage. There were several puppies of different breeds outside in cages. An Amish lady came out and led us into her home. When we walked into their log cabin home and it was pitch dark. No lights anywhere. Their entire family was eating dinner in silence. I never realized Amish people had an accent. It was difficult to understand what they were saying! Then, in comes Otis! He was a wobbly little thing. Extremely cute. I asked to meet his parents. I felt terrible for ripping him apart from his mommy. I promised her I'd take good care of him and I intend to keep that promise!
Honestly though, the potty training is a little rough. I'm trying to teach him how to use a puppy pad and he just doesn't get it. Any suggestions??
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| Otis saying bye to his mommy. Or should I say his "birth mommy" (since I'm his new mommy! lol) |
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The beautiful view from where Otis was born.
 Getting some much needed rest after a long journey home. 
Making a new friend-my sweet student, Amelia!!!! (She even wore her pug shirt for Otis!!)
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Otis making friends with my student, Nathan's mom. Look how happy he looks!
Realize that the majority of the audience likely won't even know if you make a mistake.
Let's think about who the audience is for a typical recital. Perhaps a bunch of parents, siblings, and grandparents. If you play a piece, do you think they will really know if a note is "out of tune" or not? Or perhaps, do you think they will know if you accidentally skip a line in the music, per say, or skip a note?
The answer is: Some will, but most will not.
These people are just happy to be there to enjoy some music and watch their own family member/friend. They realize they are not at a professional symphony concert! Just try to keep in mind that while your expectations of yourself should be high, they still should be reasonable. If you mess up, it's really not that big of a deal. The sun will still set and rise...and all will be OK! Sure, if you're playing a familiar tune that everybody knows, that increases the likelihood of them knowing if or when you play a wrong note. However, if you're playing some classical piece that they may have heard once in their life, odds are, you're in the safe zone.
Til next time
~Givi Girl
