Violin Instructor

Have I ever told you about the time I became the go to sub for violin classes?

No?

Well buckle up because you are in for a great read.

First I should start off by saying I do not play violin. I have no idea how to hold one properly let alone play it.

But I went in regularly for this one teacher who shared a classroom with the violin instructor. Naturally, with my easy going personality and charisma me and the violin instructor became the best of friends (as in we occasionally talked when we weren't teaching).

One day he asks me if I play violin and would I like to sub for him one day?

"Well" I reply "I don't play violin but I do believe I could fake it until I make it"... maybe I didn't say exactly that probably more likely "I don't play violin, but if you don't mind me not being able to play I'm sure I could manage the class and watch them play"

He apparently thought this was good enough and told me he would be booking me soon.

Violin instructors do not lie when they say they will book you. It wasn't long before I found myself signing in at the office as the violin instructors sub.

How did the day go?

Well, with the grade 6's we watched Ice Age (grade 6's are just in music class not violin so we were listening for the different instruments in the movie - kind of lame but it's what I was told they would do).

Then with the grade 7's and 8's we were breaking out the violins and getting down to the nitty gritty (erm.. we were playing them).

I am going to let you in on a little secret. This works probably 9 times out of 10. When you don't know the answer to something or how to do something get them to show you (or get them to look it up for you).

So here is what I did:

"Hey classes, I don't have a hot clue how to play this instrument or even how to hold it but you all do. So how's about we get out this song that you are learning and break into groups to practice it. I'll come around and you can each take turns teaching me how to play some of it"

Works like a charm.

They claimed "Happy Birthday" was the easiest one they had learned (what ever happened to "Hot Cross Buns"?) so that was the one I was taught. Was I good at it? Not a chance. But did I survive my day as a violin instructor? You bet I did. It even led to more days subbing in that very class.