Feeding Yourself - Musically

I've been thinking a lot recently about a topic I am terrible at - self-care. There are the typical things we talk about, like getting enough sleep, exercising, and being careful about how much work you bring home. I have recently been discovering another important element to add to my routine - a creative outlet through music!

Here's what it looks like:
1. Find a friend who plays an instrument.
2. Find some duet music. Old classics (Suzuki!), imslp.org, any music you might have at school, etc - it doesn't have to be hard and it doesn't have to cost money.
3. Find a time and play! (Summer is a great time)

It's just that simple. And it is SO refreshing and energizing to play for fun. Why do we struggle to make time for it? I'm finding that I need this even more now that I am not teaching music in the schools anymore - I have to keep music in my life!

I'm grateful for my violin buddies - a friend from church and a fellow music teacher - who get together and play with me. We have dreams of adding a fourth person and using our music teacher skills to play viola & cello for a string quartet, which opens up the repertoire quite a bit. Video cred goes to my friend's roommate who makes us nervous by pulling out her phone when we are playing :-).

Yes, we are doubling parts on the Bach Double.
Playing for fun = no rules, just enjoying ourselves!

Find a musical friend & keep yourself inspired today!