New Years 2019: Through My Eyes

This special installment of the JCMW Blog offers a reflective look back on 2019 as I experienced it in my life. This is not like my usual educational, informative blogs, but more of an insightful and revealing look at myself, how I changed through the year, and what I was able to manifest into reality. This blog serves as a chapter in my legacy collection, where I am archiving the years of my life, along with my experiences with the various (and amazing) people that I encounter and create with. At its core, this blog is meant to express GRATITUDE and LOVE for all of you in my life.

Seasonal, MusingsJimmy ClarkJanuary 1, 2020SeasonalComment

Chris Victors: Family Support Story #20

Chris Victors was a student of mine fairly early in my teaching career. I knew him through a few different people, and so we ended up connecting and starting up lessons.

To this day I still think he was one of the upbeat, enthusiastic, and serious students I’ve had. He actually did is work, and he did more than he was assigned. He was playing all the time, and learning at an incredibly fast rate. And when I think back on him both as a student and as a friend, I can say this,.. He is one of the nicest people I have ever known.

Family Support, Music EducationJimmy ClarkDecember 27, 2019Comment

Camp ROBIN: Wellness Story #10

One of my FAVORITE quarterly gigs is providing drum circles for Camp R.O.B.I.N., of old Bridge, New Jersey. There is not a time that I present there were I don’t look forward to it, and there is not a time when I don’t feel incredibly uplifted after presenting. I simply love this organization and this group.

Musings, Health & Wellness, Wellness StoriesJimmy ClarkDecember 25, 2019Inspiration, case study, storyComment

How Finding Band Members Is Like Dating

“Finding band members is much like dating. You somehow meet, you arrange a time and place to get acquainted, you share common interests, and then if it goes well, you make more plans.

It’s a dance, and if it’s a good dance, it can turn into a long term thing…”

MusicJimmy ClarkDecember 23, 2019Comment

Yule 2019

Season's greetings dearest JCMW family. I wanted to take some time to wish you all health, happiness, and warmth in this cold Yule season.

Yule is celebrated like most other holidays occuring around the Winter Solstice, where family, tribe, and friends gather to share in feast, fellowship, storytelling, and love. In this time of year people who celebrate Yule come together to welcome the return of the light as the scales once again tip . The Dark half of the year and the Light Half of the year are in perfect balance at this time, so it is that we gather on this, the longest and darkest night of the year, to give thanks, to see the old give way to the new, and to give thanks for all of the abundance of the harvests.

Seasonal, MusingsJimmy ClarkDecember 21, 2019SeasonalComment

Breen and Tasha: Family Support Story #19

Back in the days when I was teaching at Rising Star Music in Spotswood I had a student named Breen. You could tell her apart from any person in town when she was out driving in her mom’s car, which was painted Red, White, and Blue. That was my first impression of her, this kind of zany car. It reflected her personality as I would see in the years to come.

I worked with Breen first at the studio and then when I left that job to begin teaching privately Breen was one of the students that continued on with me for private lessons.

Family Support, Music EducationJimmy ClarkDecember 20, 2019Comment

Thriving Amidst Radical Change

Ch-ch-ch-changes, Turn And Face The Strange

Life is chaotic, and it is harmonious. It is all things. Despite the flavor of life, it is unpredictable, and it cannot really be controlled. It doesn't matter what the intention is, the universe, earth, circumstance all have their own roles to play. It can come in any way, at any time, and ALL we as a people, as humans can do is roll with the punches and accept the changes and shifts as they reveal themselves to us. It could be an outdoor wedding blessed by sun and warmth, OR it can be rainy, wet mess.

Musings, Health & WellnessJimmy ClarkDecember 18, 2019InspirationComment

Letters of Recommendation

“I recently started collecting letters of recommendation as a way to help expand my business. Usually people write or collect these for college admissions, or court cases, but they are also incredibly valuable to help a business and it’s owner to grow through the magick of *validation*...”

Music, Collaboration, Music BusinessJimmy ClarkDecember 16, 2019Comment

Benny: Family Support Story #18

There are certainly some details about this story that I won’t be able to recall, but I will work with what I do remember.

Years ago I got a call from this lovely bubbly and energetic woman about lessons for her son Benny. At that time he was a teenager, but by now he’s most definitely in his mid or late twenties. Their family lived in Metuchen, New Jersey.

Family Support, Music EducationJimmy ClarkDecember 13, 2019Comment

Toxic Relationships

“New Jersey’s premier Garden State superhero is none other than The Toxic Avenger. We have a lot of angry, rushed, and hectic folks. It can make people really anxious, and eventually, if not dealt with, it can even turn people toxic. Lots of things can, but in my opinion, a lot of it stems from a lack of self care….”

Musings, Health & WellnessJimmy ClarkDecember 11, 2019storyComment

Know Your Worth

“I call that a bargain, the best I ever had!”

Everything has an inherent or appraised value. A stamp may be worth $0.25, or it could be worth $2,500. It depends. A base model car (new) often costs about $19,000, or the same car (gently pre-owned) can be closer to $13,000. Again,.. Everything has a value, and that value is determined by a number of factors including reliability, quality, features, etc.

If you were to appraise your own value as an entertainer, teacher, a writer, what would your value be?

Music, Music BusinessJimmy ClarkDecember 9, 2019 Comment

Charlie Batten - My First Real Student: Family Support Story #17

I had been teaching to some degree since I was about 15 years old. I found that other kids in the neighborhood were willing to pay me to teach them some guitar, and I even got a few students locally via referrals. Up until then I was mostly super locally teaching.

That would change when I was referred to The Batten Family by my friend Susie. She was in the same dance program with the Batten’s daughter, and as it turned out, their son, Charlie, was interested in learning guitar.

Family Support, Music EducationJimmy ClarkDecember 6, 2019Comment

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