Strength Training - It's not just for runners!

I hit me this morning as I was doing my post run strength training that it's been exactly a year since I started adding push ups, sit ups, and other such exercises into my regular fitness plan. Recently I rearranged things to go back to some more traditional strengthening exercises, and I immediately noticed a difference, in my violin playing! Yes, I said my violin playing. Not that it isn't already showing up in my running, but you wouldn't believe the difference it can make in other walks of life as well. A lesson I realized yesterday as one of my students and I were on the floor of my violin studio doing push ups. She busted out 4 of those bad boys (she's only 7!! I should also mention that I don't actually make any student do push ups. She brought it up).

So what's so great about strength training?

1. Posture, posture, posture! If you can't stand up straight it's going to start hurting at some point. It's the sad reality and one of the primary reasons I got hurt in high school right before all of my college auditions (can you say really bad timing!!). Even the smallest adjustment, or strengthening can make a difference
2. Those push ups sure do make my arms stronger! Which is a really good thing cause I have all of these audition excerpts that require the bow to bounce, which needs some serious arm strength when you on the 5th one and still have 5 more to go...
3. Musicians are like athletes. Don't want to get injured? Get those muscles stronger and make sure you're using them the right way!! (same goes for runners)
4. Are you tired after that 3 hour rehearsal or concert? You have to hold that instrument up some how...
5. Hills? What hills? (okay this is clearly a running one)
6. You'll be ready when you end up in a push up contest with a 7 year old!

Technology Over kill

yesterday afternoon was very interesting. It made me remember a conversation with a friend who is one of my former teachers. So, here's the question: What is the proper way to tell your teacher you will either be late, or your not coming?

Interesting right? When I thought back on it I came up with an interesting answer. See the only way I've ever let a teacher know I'm not going to be able to come is by calling them. When I started talking lessons that was the only way you could do it. There was no Internet to send an e-mail and no such thing as a text message (this is otherwise known as the dark ages to today's children). In fact the friend I mentioned before hates it when her college students send her a text saying they are not coming to their lesson. I can understand that.

This all comes up because of two students yesterday. The first just started at a new school and is running with his cross country team and it keeps running into his lesson. First I get a phone call and voice mail, which is great! Then a get a text message, which I reply to and ask if they want to come on Thursday. Then I get another text message with the same message as the first one. The second student was running late. Her dad e-mails me to say they're late. Fine no problem. I know he's driving so I don't send anything back (by the way I do not use my phone while driving!!!). Then I get a text at would have been the beginning of the lesson saying they're late. It seems a bit much to me. But then I started to think about all of the parents who have started texting me about lessons. No phone calls. No e-mail. Just text. What happened to the old way of doing things? I miss it! While I dearly love e-mail, nothing every beats a phone call or a note in the mail. Personally all of the messages were a bit much, but on the bright side I did know whether or not they were coming, which is a step in the right direction.

So what do you think? What's the best way to let someone know you're not coming?