Free talk Friday - 07.01.22

**DrUnk** · 07-01-2022, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by BcRaven

Happy 4th to all! Unfortunately, the wife and I had to cancel all our plans as we both tested positive for COVID. It feels like a bad flu, but we're starting to feel a little better day-by-day. The one "positive" thing is that we've got it at the same time.

Stay safe and healthy everyone... bc

Feel better. My wife just got over it, and seemingly I did not get it, although I had something that lasted 3 weeks, but that was about 2 months ago.

**Rxdoxx** · 07-01-2022, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

Always a good reminder. But you know what, it probably is a better deal for the Mets than people know. The money has to go into escrow on these deals, I assume, in case the team were to go bankrupt, however unlikely that is. So they earn a ton of interest on the escrow presumably, meaning it's costing them less than they are paying him. Anyway, still a fun story.

IIRC the Mets were caught up in the Madoff ponzi scheme and thought the money was no problem.

**usmccharles** · 07-01-2022, 03:21 PM

Bc, hope you guys feel better soon. I just had covid last month and it wasnt too fun

Anyone ride peloton? Just got mine all setup and prolly gonna start riding this weekend. Also, going to pickup a 88key keyboard today, always wanted to learn how to play, never touched a key in my life so lets see how this goes.

**Shas** · 07-01-2022, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Rxdoxx

IIRC the Mets were caught up in the Madoff ponzi scheme and thought the money was no problem.

Well if the money in escrow was somehow tied to some BS Madoff investment and they lost it, that would be a problem. But you figure it was in a conservative enough fund to get league approval. As I posted elsewhere, the $6M in escrow for 11 years could easily become $14M and $14M could realistically yield what they need to make Bonilla's annual payments.

**TheOrioleWay** · 07-01-2022, 03:41 PM

Back in OC after a quick trip to Norfolk. Also Virginia Beach, which we weren't impressed with. Highly recommend the battleship tours in Norfolk. Did a boat tour of the entire harbor, but the highlight was the engine room tour of the USS Wisconsin. Fascinating and worth a trip. Norfolk is a cool town.

**WrongBaldy** · 07-01-2022, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

had that for tennis elbow. it really helped over time but goddamn that was a painful shot...

Docs thinks I need 3 😭

**BcRaven** · 07-01-2022, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by usmccharles

Bc, hope you guys feel better soon. I just had covid last month and it wasnt too fun

It's not fun, but not life-threatening as we're in relatively good health for our ages.

Although I wish this on every American, I certainly think of you here (along with the men and women who serve or have served) :

Our deepest thanks and gratitude... Bc

**Ravenswintitle** · 07-01-2022, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by WrongBaldy

Docs thinks I need 3

Stay strong

**Ortizer** · 07-02-2022, 10:14 AM

Bunch of parties. Actually had to push back the birthday party for my youngest because of it.

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**Ortizer** · 07-02-2022, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by usmccharles

Bc, hope you guys feel better soon. I just had covid last month and it wasnt too fun

Anyone ride peloton? Just got mine all setup and prolly gonna start riding this weekend. Also, going to pickup a 88key keyboard today, always wanted to learn how to play, never touched a key in my life so lets see how this goes.

There was an app one of my daughter's friends uses that does lessons. Her dad was saying it's awesome. Called "Piano Academy"

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**TheOrioleWay** · 07-02-2022, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by usmccharles

Also, going to pickup a 88key keyboard today, always wanted to learn how to play, never touched a key in my life so lets see how this goes.

usmccharles: I'm a retired music teacher and my retirement gig is piano lessons. Have kids coming to the house and a studio at the mall where I do group lessons. Feel free to PM me for help.

Would never spill the beans to my students, but you really don't need to pay a teacher. It's all about home practice and work. I was largely self-taught until I got some lessons and ended up in one of the top music schools (Cincinnati Conservatory). All you pay a teacher to do is to assign materials, show you a few fundamentals and then appraise what you've done in between lessons. You can have the best teacher in the world, but if you don't follow up on assignments, you're pissing your money away. YouTube has some excellent videos.

Case in point, our daughter, who's classically trained in instrumental and also theatre wanted to learn Ukulele. She was too busy to read the music, etc., and was playing in no time.

**Shas** · 07-02-2022, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by TheOrioleWay

I'm a retired music teacher and my retirement gig is piano lessons....Would never spill the beans to my students, but you really don't need to pay a teacher. It's all about home practice and work

Love hearing about who my fellow posters are. Very interesting. (I think I've shared with you before that my dad grew up in the Cincy area)

When our kid was 8 or so they were showing really strong singing ability (their mother sang in bands) and so we signed them up for music lessons. They seemed pretty into it and loved their teacher, so we purchased a decent upright electronic piano on the Menchey Music installment plan. After many $30/mo payments we paid it off last month finally.

They are 13 now. But of course COVID hit two years ago, so after a couple years of lessons that stopped and the home piano has sat mostly idle. Now we're talking about resuming lessons. You comments make me think, though.

What you say makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, I am thinking about an aspect of lessons that you didn't mention and that's accountability. It seems like some of their motivation to practice was to not disappoint their teacher. I wonder if you're underselling the value you provide to your students on that count?

An analogy might be weight loss. I know that one of the reasons programs like weight watchers work for people is because it causes them to check in and demonstrate progress. Forced accountability. Even the idea that you are practicing for a end of the session recital I think helped with motivation.

I assume many of your students are middle schoolers? Do you think the YouTube route could work for them? Do you have any advice for parents "homeschooling" their kids on piano practice? Any tricks that get a kid to be inherently more interested with being accountable to a teacher?