I used to vow I’d never teach on weekends. That lasted for a good long time. But sometime in, I think, the late 90s, I gave in. So many parents work, so many students have sports or SAT classes or you-name-it after school, and I can’t teach in the evenings, due to my rehearsal and performance schedule. So Saturdays it was. And is. Part of me wonders if I should add another student, as I received another request for Saturday lessons. It would mean that I’d begin teaching at 8:45. A tad early for a musician, but not all that early for most people out in the work place, right? So I’m tossing the idea around. After all, I’m up right now, and have been since 7:00. I could do it.

Of course I do have late Friday nights much of the time. Hmmm.

What to do?

I also had, at one point, bragged to a colleague about how I had Monday off. I figured everyone deserved a two-day weekend, and since Saturdays weren’t free, I’d at least take Sunday and Monday off. (Well, yes, I have concerts on Sunday, but I do my best!) That policy didn’t last; Mondays turned into a teaching day. Funny thing is my friend loved my idea and no longer teaches on Monday. Wouldn’t you know?

So now I teach Monday through Saturday, and rehearsals and performances any day of the week. So much for a guaranteed day off. But I love teaching. Really. (A number of my colleagues are baffled by that and while some teach, they hate it. Others simply choose not to teach.) Teaching keeps me thinking about how I do what I do, keeps me in touch with younger people and, well, it just makes me happy. Most of the time. Yeah, I occasionally get very bugged, when a student doesn’t practice and pretends to have done so. (Note to students: Just give it up! Be honest, please. We can tell if you’re pretending you practiced when you didn’t. Mostly because we’ve all done the same thing!) And last minute or frequent cancellations are irksome; this is a major portion of my income, which many parents don’t fully understand. (I charge by the lesson so no one ever “owes” anyone anything … it’s the only way I feel I can work with my wacky schedule.)

So I suppose I’ll ponder that Saturday student. I’m quite torn. I’m not sure what I’ll do.

All I know is I refuse to add Sundays to the mix. And that’s final.

Update
I just received an email saying I’ve won the lottery in the UK. Wow. I didn’t even buy a ticket. I guess I can take those Mondays off after all. 😉