No Lesson at Easter

My first-thing Saturday morning student comes nearly every week.  Of the year.  The Saturdays closest to Christmas and New Year are usually taken off, but apart from that - unless I'm away - he has a lesson.  He's now 15, and his mum always comes to the lesson too.  At the end of every lesson, his mum asks "Same time next week?" and usually my reply is yes.  But last week:

Boy's mum: Same time next week?
Me: Ooh - actually, no, don't come next week.
Boy's mum [surprised/concerned]: Oh - why not?
Boy [in that "I can't believe I have to explain this to you" tone of voice]: Mum, it's Easter.  She wants a holiday!

Like, duh.

The Trial of Cross Country

Today, the middle and senior girls had their cross country carnival.  Yesterday, I was talking with a grade 6 girl about it.

Me: Have fun tomorrow!
Girl [groaning]: Ugh...
Me [mock surprise]: Really?  You don't want to do cross country tomorrow?
Girl: Well.  I think it's a bit much... Really... To ask grade 6 girls... To run... Three kilometres!... All the way to [suburb] ... State School!... ... And back!  ... I'm not looking forward to it.
Me: Love the way that sentence just kept going and going...
Girl: And then, when we get back, we have to prance around! [lip sync competition]
Me: Team spirit?
Girl rolls her eyes and groans.  Again.

The Music Office Door

First thing this morning, I saw the violist from the junior quartet.  She had in her hand the 'contract' all the students in ensembles are required to sign (will turn up to all rehearsals and performances, and follow the director's instructions).

Viola: Ummm... What do I do with this?
Me: You know the music office door?
Viola: Ye- um... no...
Me: You know the music office?
Viola: Yes.
Me: And it has a front door?
Viola: Oh, yeah.
Me: That's the music office door.
Viola: Ohhhh...
Me: And it has the letterbox on the front.  You lift the lid, and you put in the contract.
Viola: Oh...  Okay.

There were varying levels of penny-dropping and confusion, from her, and varying levels of worry from me.

Random Comment #2 - The Nutcracker

Later in rehearsal for the Continuing Quartet, we were working on Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker.  I was sorting out a passage in the violins for a bit, and could hear the cello and viola talking quietly about something.  As soon as I had finished with the violins, I heard this:

Cello [quite loudly and dramatically]: Well, I crack nuts!
Me [turning back to her, raised eyebrow]: Um...?
Cello [floundering]: Oh - well, I - um - oh, you know, I -
Viola [imitating me from earlier]: Random comment number two for today.
Cello: I don't mean I crack nuts... You know... Like... not like ... Oh.  I meant the - yeah, the nuts you can eat.  As in, the nutcracker - like where this music is from.  You know.  The ballet, and the nutcracker, and the little soldier thing.
Me: Yeah, that's what I thought you meant...

All this was accompanied by giggles from at least one of the other girls.  I feel I should point out here that they all get on as friends, and they do work really hard when not coming out with random comments and misunderstandings.

Random Comment #1 - Chin Rests

Continuing Quartet this morning.  We stopped playing for something, and before anything could be said, we had this:

Viola [sniffing her chin rest]: Ooh, my chin rest smells really nice.
Me [a bit stunned]: Um... Okay... Random comment number one for the day...
Violin 2: Ooh, mine smells nice too.  Like wood.
Violin 1: So does mine.  Well, of course they all do, really.
Cello [with her nose at the shoulder of her cello]: That's not fair.  I don't have one!
Viola: You don't have anywhere to put it.
Cello: I guess ... It would have to go here [points to the shoulder of the cello].  Can you imagine that??

Cello then puts her chin on the imaginary chin rest and pretends to play.  She looked like she was trying to sniff the bridge of the cello, with her left hand above her hair and bow arm sticking out like a broken wing.  It didn't last long, of course, as the giggles turned to hilarity.

Necklaces

11-yr-old girl.

Last week:

Girl: Um... [looks anxious] Is your necklace... Well, is it meant to look like squished up lady bugs?
Me: Oh - do you think so?
Girl: Yeah, that's like the body, and those bits are like the shells, with the dots, you know?
Me [taking it off]: I see your point.
Girl: Why are you taking it off?
Me: Because I need you to focus on violin, and if you keep looking at me and all you can see is squished lady bug, we're not going to get very far.

This week:

Girl: Your earrings look like - they are! - red roses.  That's so pretty.  And - wow! - is that? Is that a red rose on your necklace?
Me: Yes.
Girl: Ooh... That's so pretty!  Much nicer than the squished beetles you had on last week.

Thanks, kid.  Anyone want to buy a handmade necklace that looks like it might possibly be squished lady bugs...?

Birthday Swap

9-yr-old boy. 

Boy: Oh... That concert isn't on my birthday is it?
Me: When's your birthday?  It's in May, right?
Boy: Yep.  May the 24th. 
Me: And you're turning... 9?
Boy: 10. 
Me: Well, that explains why you're so tall.
Boy: Oh ... Wait... My dad and I are swapping.
Me: You're swapping?
Boy [starting to giggle]: Yep.  He's going to be turning 10, I'm going to be turning 39.
Me: 39?!
Boy: Yep, I'll be 39.  So... Actually... My birthday is now going to be April... No... March 30.
Me: Wow.  So you'll be the oldest person in your class!
Boy [big grin]: Yep!