042021 — Blog — Rulerless

It doesn't matter why

Years ago, I was teaching music lessons six days a week and managing my music school on top of that.

I like to be busy, but I was starting to get tired. To my surprise, the thing I was getting tired of was not the bookkeeping and appointment setting and other mundane tasks. It was teaching the music lessons.

I found myself with less patience and more resignation. The energy I usually put into problem-solving, digging deep and going beyond the minimum to find just the right approach for a given student — it just wasn’t there.

Casey von NeumannJanuary 6, 2021020521, 021221, 042021, 051821, 080921, 090921, 012722Comment

The cost of not doing it

Running a tiny, weird school exposes some fascinating and frustrating human behavior.

From prospective families who decide not to enroll, I often hear, "We love your program, but we're going to give our public school a try first. Who knows, maybe we'll be contacting you again if it doesn't work out!"

It’s understandable that people would be reluctant to take the risk, financial and educational, of trying something different. But I also hear, equally often, "We wish we had started with you sooner!" from parents who return a year or two later, finally ready to give us a try.

Casey von NeumannFebruary 25, 2020decisions, 092420, 042021, 051221, 081021, 041422 Comments

A belief that leads to miserable artists and entrepreneurs

I came across a plaintive blog post by a struggling entrepreneur. “God,” she said to the Internet, “Why won’t you send your blessings to my business?”

Yesterday, I wrote about how we can succeed with something if we stick with it and refuse to entertain the possibility that we don’t have what it takes. But that’s about our own skill and persistence. We run into trouble when we think we can control what other people do if we just try hard enough or show up long enough…and if that is the case, controlling the actions of an almighty deity would seem to be to be off the menu as well.

Casey von NeumannDecember 18, 2019112520, 032421, 040121, 042021, 042121, 061621, 070221, 080321, 081721, 071422Comment

When there is no right or wrong decision

When I look back at my college career at the University of Maine, many of my fondest memories revolved around being a member of the University Singers under the direction of Dr. Dennis K. Cox.

I have learned many things from DC, including the beauty of choral literature and the magic that can be created by a joyful group of people unified in their sound and their intent. However, one lesson I’ve never forgotten was one applicable not to choir, but to life in general. He told us, “When faced with a decision, it doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as you commit to it one hundred percent.”

Casey von NeumannJuly 9, 2019decision-making, 061620, decisions, 071120, 082620, 102120, 042021, 081821, 022122, 032623Comment

You can't get straight A's in life

Yeah, I know that schools talk about how important creativity and critical thinking are. And some school cultures are set up to deeply value these skills. However, for the most part, nobody wants students to, for instance, use their critical thinking skills in to question the value of the assignments they are given or put their creativity to work to find more efficient ways to get a given result. “I can see from your test that you understand this material, but you still need to turn in the homework so you don’t get zeros. The YouTube video you made was great, but you still need to do the worksheet.”

Casey von NeumannApril 19, 2019decision-making, 080520, 093020, 042021, 071621Comment