August 20, 2026
I had a blast this summer not only working with the students in my own studio and truly tapping into everyone's musical interests, but also getting to teach a broader variety of musical subjects and students across Alaska. It always makes me feel nostalgic when I see new musical friendships and inspirations develop when my students (and even my own two children) attend music camps and festivals where they can mingle among other young musicians. When I was a kiddo, I very clearly remember how experience like these inspired me to play more music.
We are diving right into the fall semester with some fun activities and repertoire worked up for our November recitals. Our kick-off potluck will be held Saturday, August 22nd at 2pm. I will be cooking up a big pot of soup and handing out our fall semester CDs and practice books to those who come in person.
We have made a change in location this year for group classes. While our recitals will still be held at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, The Anchorage Waldorf School has very kindly offered me a deal on using their much larger great hall for group classes. This is already the space I use to teach Orchestra and Choir at the school, so much less pre-class setup is needed.
After our November 9th and 14th recitals, we have one more optional performance opportunity for those who are interested to play for the AWS Winter Faire. Although I do not require students to perform at public events, this one is pretty easy and a bit less stressful than a recital or big stage performance as we play background music while people are shopping. If you have a child that is new to performing, this may be a wonderful opportunity to improve those performance skills with a bit less stage-fright.
My baby-music-classes have temporarily been put on hold as I work out some logistics about the switch in space, but I did get approval to hold the class on Saturday mornings at Anchorage Waldorf after the new year. Please be sure to put the bug into the ears of anyone you know with littles ages 0-3. It is such a fun class that introduces parents to Suzuki Method, introduces musical concepts, and encourages growth in musical, cognitive, and social foundations in the young child.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. I hope everyone has a lovely fall filled with music, fun, and warmth. I thank you all again for all the work you do as parents/caregivers to get these amazing young musicians to lessons, and all the support given to keep them practicing at home. It has been so lovely to experience the result of that hard work in the form of the beautiful music made and the sense of accomplishment and joy that comes from the students.
Ms. Amanda
