The weather is getting cooler. We experienced a few rain showers. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home after getting the first full week of playing up and running. No students or pianists were harmed in this endeavor. Of course, my annual friend chest congestion made an appearance. Fortunately, Mucinex seems to be doing the job of keeping things under control and not allowing this unwelcome friend to set up permanent residence.
There was also some reading that happened this week and some decisions made. Here’s the scoop….
What I Finished Reading
The Rookie by Jim Morris. I shouldn’t have been surprised that I enjoyed this memoir as much as I did. After all, it was a baseball book. But it was so much more. It was a story of fear, failure, family, and frustration. It was a story of dreams delayed and dreams fulfilled. It was encouraging and challenging. It was the perfect read for the beginning of a new semester and a new group of freshman students in my world.
What I Stopped Reading
The Artist as Citizen by Joseph Polizi. The more I read in this collection of speeches, the more I realized that the era that Polizi addressed was not the art world that I currently reside in. There were interesting points to consider, but the book was not speaking to me. Besides, there were other books sitting nearby in the office waiting for my attention. This volume had become a drudge and a duty. That’s not what I want my reading life to be about any more.
What I Am Currently Reading
No Book Beginners: A Step-By-Step Framework for Creative Piano Teaching by Tim Topham. (p. 18 of 194) One of the books that was calling from the corner of my desk was this one. A leader in modern music instruction, Topham is calling for a new approach to piano instruction. Following an approach more akin to language learning, Topham suggests that students first explore the language of music before the process of learning to read and write begins. This approach would pull teachers away from traditional piano methods and require more activity-driven instruction of students as they discover musical concepts. While the traditionalist in me is a little apprehensive of the prospect, the educator in me is intrigued. I’m not sure what I’ll find, but I’m looking forward to making my way through this book slowly in the weeks ahead.
As Sure As the Dawn by Francine Rivers. (p. 45 of 473) In this final novel in the Mark of the Lion trilogy, Rivers focuses on the story of Atretes. Atretes was a gladiator who purchased his freedom from the arena and has since discovered that his child lives. I’m still very early in the story, so I’m not entirely sure where we will be heading. I am excited to see how things will be tied up in this final episode of the saga and trust that I will enjoy this novel as much as I have the rest of the series.
There you have it. Happy reading, y’all!
~Kennith
Reading for Me 
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