Podcast, Teaching Guitar and Depression
Mar 19, 2019 21:13:53 GMT
Wild Violet, ocarolan, and 17 more like this
Post by Cams on Mar 19, 2019 21:13:53 GMT
Hi folks,
I've had an idea on the back of my new teaching job and thought I'd write a bit about how the teaching is helping me with some mental health issues I've been dealing with.
I went to the GP in December with depression. It took some courage, but I'm finally starting to come through it with medication.
My interview podcast reached the end of season 1 in December too, as I'd run out of recorded interviews and hadn't yet figured out how to do it over the Internet and record two separate channels in my DAW. I don't imagine that it's all that hard to figure out, but my mental health at the time made it seem like too big of an obstacle. That said, I really enjoyed producing those shows, as I enjoy creating in general, so that has led me onto my new project, Diary of a Guitar Teacher.
I took on a pupil in January and there were days when those lessons were the only thing that got me off the sofa. And by the time the lesson was over, I'd be feeling much better, like I'd used that experience to get me out of my own head and into sharing knowledge and content.
So, although I was filled with fear and impostor syndrome, I found myself saying yes when the local rock school teacher asked me if I would dep for him during March while he was away overseas working as a rock school examiner. I knew that it would be good for my mental health to have a project to work on that I enjoyed and that would get me out of my house and my own head.
I'm now in my third week of teaching the high school kids and have 14 kids on my books, from age 12 through to 18. I'm teaching rock school, which really isn't my thing -- or so I thought! I've had to go through the syllabus myself and have been enjoying it immensely. I've at grade 4 now, but am also working though some grade 6 pieces with one pupil - power chords, blues bends, metal lead - it's fantastic. It has also inspired me to get back into my lessons with Bryan Sutton at ArtistWorks and really go deep into understanding the theory behind what I know. It feels like I'm levelling up.
At my lessons yesterday, a young grade 2 pupil told me that he lives in the middle of nowhere and he was really bored and always wanted to learn guitar. It's amazing how quickly he's learning and how much joy he's getting from it; that transfers to me too, and is doing absolute wonders for my mental health and giving me a real sense of purpose.
So, I've decided to chart the journey by creating a documentary style podcast called Diary of a Guitar Teacher. It'll help to keep me honest and I feel like it will have some real value as I talk about the challenges and learn to produce entertaining content.
Maybe the content won't be that interesting, I dunno, but I feel like it's helping me and making me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile while my wife covers my shifts at the post office for me because I just can't face going in to work. I'm learning so much teaching and studying with Bryan Sutton, but also making videos, figuring out lighting and mics, editing, publishing. I'm busy doing something I love, and if I can make that work, then so much the better.
I'll be publishing on my Acoustic Guitar IO podcast feed and also on YouTube. Here's the intro video I posted yesterday:
I'd love to get back into doing more interview shows as well, so if you fancy being on or have any suggestions, send me a message and we'll work it out. Of all the shows I've published, Andy Howell's has had the most numbers - nice one Andy!
I've had an idea on the back of my new teaching job and thought I'd write a bit about how the teaching is helping me with some mental health issues I've been dealing with.
I went to the GP in December with depression. It took some courage, but I'm finally starting to come through it with medication.
My interview podcast reached the end of season 1 in December too, as I'd run out of recorded interviews and hadn't yet figured out how to do it over the Internet and record two separate channels in my DAW. I don't imagine that it's all that hard to figure out, but my mental health at the time made it seem like too big of an obstacle. That said, I really enjoyed producing those shows, as I enjoy creating in general, so that has led me onto my new project, Diary of a Guitar Teacher.
I took on a pupil in January and there were days when those lessons were the only thing that got me off the sofa. And by the time the lesson was over, I'd be feeling much better, like I'd used that experience to get me out of my own head and into sharing knowledge and content.
So, although I was filled with fear and impostor syndrome, I found myself saying yes when the local rock school teacher asked me if I would dep for him during March while he was away overseas working as a rock school examiner. I knew that it would be good for my mental health to have a project to work on that I enjoyed and that would get me out of my house and my own head.
I'm now in my third week of teaching the high school kids and have 14 kids on my books, from age 12 through to 18. I'm teaching rock school, which really isn't my thing -- or so I thought! I've had to go through the syllabus myself and have been enjoying it immensely. I've at grade 4 now, but am also working though some grade 6 pieces with one pupil - power chords, blues bends, metal lead - it's fantastic. It has also inspired me to get back into my lessons with Bryan Sutton at ArtistWorks and really go deep into understanding the theory behind what I know. It feels like I'm levelling up.
At my lessons yesterday, a young grade 2 pupil told me that he lives in the middle of nowhere and he was really bored and always wanted to learn guitar. It's amazing how quickly he's learning and how much joy he's getting from it; that transfers to me too, and is doing absolute wonders for my mental health and giving me a real sense of purpose.
So, I've decided to chart the journey by creating a documentary style podcast called Diary of a Guitar Teacher. It'll help to keep me honest and I feel like it will have some real value as I talk about the challenges and learn to produce entertaining content.
Maybe the content won't be that interesting, I dunno, but I feel like it's helping me and making me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile while my wife covers my shifts at the post office for me because I just can't face going in to work. I'm learning so much teaching and studying with Bryan Sutton, but also making videos, figuring out lighting and mics, editing, publishing. I'm busy doing something I love, and if I can make that work, then so much the better.
I'll be publishing on my Acoustic Guitar IO podcast feed and also on YouTube. Here's the intro video I posted yesterday:
I'd love to get back into doing more interview shows as well, so if you fancy being on or have any suggestions, send me a message and we'll work it out. Of all the shows I've published, Andy Howell's has had the most numbers - nice one Andy!