January 30th, 2023

Our first month of lessons this year has been so fun working up some fiddle tunes for the Anchorage Folk Festival, and welcoming a couple of new families to the studio. Our first week of the Spring Semester already has a handful of schedule changes, so families should plan on logging into the student portal to stay up-to-date.  

    Please note a couple of changes for this semester's group classes. Masks are now optional at the church, and we will be moving to a downstairs classroom on Mondays (instead of using the upstairs social room.) I will have signs posted the first few weeks of class to help point everyone in the right direction. (Saturday classes will still be once per month in the Sanctuary and once per month online via Zoom.)

     One new and exciting development in my teaching journey is that I have just completed training to assistant-teach Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes (also known as "Baby Suzuki Class.") These non-instrument-specific classes are for families of children ages 0-3 and is an incredibly fun way to help prepare younger children and their parents for the rhythm and routines of starting music lessons. Starting January 12th, I will be co-teaching this class with the wonderful Karyn Grove-Bruce on Thursday mornings. Please let me know if you or someone you know might be interested in joining the classes, and I will be happy to set you up! :-)

    I have a few instruments for sale or to rent-to-own to studio families, as well as a list of families looking to sell their outgrown instruments. (It's so nice to see these lovely violins stay within the studio!) I do have a few used instruments set aside for scholarship families, but are always looking for more donations for those families in need. 

     Finally, I just have a few reminders about how to care for instruments in the extremely cold and dry conditions we are experiencing in Alaska right now. While instrument case humidifiers are nice, the best thing you can be doing is running one in your home. In these temperatures, you should never leave your instrument in a cold car (even just while you go to the store,) and if you do accidentally leave your instrument in the cold for an extended period, bring it inside and keep the case shut for 24 hours to let it acclimate slowly. It is that drastic change in temperature and humidity that can cause cracks and damage to your instrument. 

     I think this is all for now, although I am sure I will think of more updates soon. I am so excited for our upcoming recitals and performances and the opportunity to share all the hard work you have all put into this semester. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, everyone! 

Amanda Kerr