I'm going through some changes in my life. Most of it involves driving and/or traveling to gigs. I'm really tired of doing it as much as I do. At a recent wedding I had about 3 1/2 hours of travel time (each way) invested in a 30 minute event. After 40+ years I'm looking toward spending my time differently. It's time to significantly reduce the number of events that I play every year.
I've also reduced my teaching a bit for the same reason. I drive quite a bit to teach at the music store I've been affiliated with for 37 years. So I've dropped a day from that schedule too.
All of this sounds like the whining of an old goat who should have retired several years ago. But the truth is a bit more complicated. I'm actually hungry for some new challenges. Sitting around and waxing nostalgic about the "good old days" is a pleasant way to have a beer with old friends, but then I need to move forward. I know what I did yesterday..... the accomplishments and the screw ups. There is no need to constantly revisit those days. The challenge is "what am I going to do tomorrow?"
The thing is that I still enjoy playing music for people and I don't think I could ever stop teaching completely. So I'm not tired of those activities, just the long commutes. Fortunately technology is offering some interesting options.
I've been offering lesson online for several years now. I'm starting to get the hang of it. There is, of course, a prejudice against it. But for the people who have tried it, the results have been better than expected. Interestingly, most of my online students are seniors. So I'm developing new techniques and strategies to teach them better. My immediate goal is to increase my online student load.
With that in mind, I've also begun to consult with other teachers on how they can be more effective. I've seen several companies trying consolidate online teachers under one "roof" but when I go to their sites, trying to find the right teacher is complicated and the prices seem to be inflated. I'm convinced there is a better way and I just need to find it before someone else does.
I would like to explore the emerging trend of online concerts too. I'm not sure how well that works for the artist but it would give me an opportunity to play for people without all of us physically meeting in a room somewhere. Although that has its charms too.
I'm not sure how all of this is going to work, but I invite you to watch this space. Ride along on this journey with me. Feel free to comment, make suggestions, register complaints, and generally keep me company. It will be interesting to see where all this leads in a year or two.