Budgeting Workbook | Unboxing, Flip Through & First Impressions

As we start to prepare for 2021, I embarked on a quest for the perfect cashflow planner. Yup. A paper planner., because I suck at keeping track of things if it’s solely digital.

I bought the Budgeting Workbook from Amazon for $9.01 CAD. It is a best-selling item for its category on Amazon and has received positive reviews. The one that said that the planner made budgeting “fun” intrigued me.

Budgeting Workbook Specs

• Monthly & Weekly Budget Planner pages for one year

• Expense Tracker Bill Organizer for one year

• Note pages

Check out my vlog, which features a detailed flip through:

I did have one runner up: the Ardium Semi Year Cash Book, available for approximately $15,95 USD.

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How do you keep of your budgeting and expenses? Any tips or recommendations? Share them in the Comments.

DISCLAIMER: This description contains Amazon links. If you click on a product link and make a purchase the Studio will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting our channel and blog.

Posture Medic First Impressions

Last week, I picked up the Posture Medic in hopes of fixing my bad desk posture once and for all.

What is the Posture Medic?

The Posture Medic is a resistance band that helps you stabilize your posture. It also can be used for stretching and exercising.

I purchased it from Calgary Co-Op Home Health Care for $39.99 CAD before taxes. It is also available at Amazon via my affiliate link.

My Posture Medic Unboxing Video

To learn more about the Posture Medic, visit their website.

Fostering Self-Assessment with Cross-Training

Originally published in the July 2020 edition of APTA News & Views.

One of the positives from the COVID-19 pandemic is that we are able to attend classes and seminars from the comfort of our own homes. On the May long weekend, I was able to participate in an international martial arts seminar that was hosted in Guelph, Ontario. For someone who trains in four somewhat rare martial arts, the Zoominar was a priceless opportunity to work with some of the top instructors in Canada, to listen to one of the highest ranking instructors in the world from his home in England, and to meet practitioners from around the world.

The focus of all the sessions was to give attendees tools to take ownership of their physical distancing training. Immediately, I could see how these self-assessment tools and drills could be adapted to help music students do the same. Here are some of the tools and tips that my students and I have added into our practicing.

Galligan Sensei’s Quadrants

Carole Galligan sensei is the highest ranking female in Canada for Iaido, the art of cutting from the sword draw. With her preparing for her 7th degree black belt grading, she shared how she was continuing to train without the benefit of being in the same room as her sensei. Like music teachers, sensei normally physically adjust arms, hands and body position or demonstrate concepts via partner work.

She held up this diagram while saying that each of our techniques contain these elements. Then she led us through various exercises to identify our dominant quadrant. Our weakest quadrant lays kitty-corner to it.

Galligan sensei holds up her quadrants for us to work through during the 2020 Guelph Seminar.

In discussion with my students, this is how we adapted sensei’s quadrants for music:

My teen and adult students have set out to identify their overall dominant quadrant, as well as their dominant for each piece. That done, they are now focussing their practices on “levelling up” their weakest. The younger students are picking one quadrant to focus on per practice.

Whether my students think that Galligan sensei is cool or they love the tool, I am seeing and hearing immediate results.

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Galligan sensei also showed us several photos of her doing various techniques incorrectly and asked us to identify what was wrong. She then challenged us to do the same when reviewing photos and videos of ourselves practising. Some practitioners admitted that they were uncomfortable watching themselves. Sensei recommended they start by studying photos and videos of other people.

This translates extremely well to music practice. This past week, I have played videos of other people performing my students’ repertoire, asking them to identify what was good (and not so good) about the performances. Some of them have already jumped to Stage 2, which is to record and review their own practices.

Play it Backwards Drill

Galligan sensei confused several of us when she asked us to execute a kata (form) from end to start. It jolted us all out of complacency, forcing us to really concentrate. By the time we performed the kata normally, we noticed that overall, we were cleaner and smoother.

Several of my students have jumped onto this drill, immediately applying it to all of their troublespots. Others needed more repetitions or smaller practice chunks. The improvement has ranged from noticeable to incredible.

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I asked my student to try a practice drill that Galligan sensei had us try at the Guelph Iaido and Jodo Zoominar, which was to do everything backwards. My student ran through the Coda of Dennis Alexander's Nocturne in D, reading from right to left. Then she played the Coda normally. The improvement in flow had us both excited. #pianolesson #onlinepianolessons #practicemakesconsistent #practiceideas #practicedrills

A post shared by Musespeak/Rhona-Mae Arca (@musespeakstudio) on May 20, 2020 at 11:19am PDT

Green Sensei’s Adaptability Drill

In his session, David Green sensei (6 degree black belt in Iaido) covered changing one or more elements in our practice space and routine to jolt our brains out of complacency and challenge our ability to adapt. For example, training on a different surface or facing a different direction.

With us being housebound we, along with our students, have lost a bit of our adaptability savvy developed from performing on different pianos. My students came up with these changes to practice adaptability: change the lighting, practice with eyes closed, move objects and music to a different spot in the room, change chairs, and to record practices.

Tribe Sensei’s Tips on Dealing with Conflicting Advice

Eric Tribe sensei (6 degree black belt in Iaido and Jodo) is the CKF Head Examiner for Jodo in Eastern Canada (the art of the Japanese short staff), as well as the President of Jodo Canada. In his session, he presented video clips from two different instructors on the subject of technique.

On the surface, it seemed like they were coming at it from opposite sides. Tribe sensei had us try the technique, following the advice of each instructor. He then asked us to find the common ground between the two viewpoints. Between the commonalities and discussing what felt natural and logical, we were able to find our middle ground.

This also translates very well for music. My teen students have been listening to three or more performances of their pieces. Not only have they been comparing and contrasting, but they are also gaining ideas for experimentation. *

It has been a lot of fun adapting these drills and tools for music practice. My sensei have all been encouraging of this type of cross-training. Perhaps there is something that you do as a hobby or for exercise that you can adapt and use with your students. Or maybe there is something that your students do that can have applications to music. A little cross-training is good for everyone.

Music and Injuries, Budo and Injuries

It’s amazing what can happen in a split second. That’s all it took for me to back into a parked car in my 20s. I was distracted, talking with my friend sitting beside me. It was dark and I didn’t take that extra second to do one last shoulder check. Thankfully, the vehicle was unoccupied and my friend and I were able to locate the owner. Eleven years ago, a second was all it took to lose control of a knife while cutting a pot roast, watch it fly out of my hand, and cut my finger. I needed stitches and was unable to practice piano with my right hand for at least two weeks. That made preparing for Piano Camp rather interesting.

A split second was all it took for me to cut a nerve in another finger, six weeks ago. The Coles’ Notes version: Our order of new swords arrived at the dojo that evening and we were all excited. I was trying to get a new sword - a live blade - unstuck from its scabbard. When it became unstuck, I was not careful enough and LH2 got cut. The nerve was cut cleanly, so stitching it back together was a straightforward procedure. It was a stark reminder to be fully present whenever doing something that should have your complete attention.

It is healing well and my finger is expected to regain full sensation (if not, pretty darn close). For that, I am thankful to my quick thinking friends, the staff at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, my rockin’ surgical team, my physiotherapist, and God.

I was debating whether or not to write anything about it here. It was a careless moment that could have been much worse. Lesson learned. One of my dojo mates suggested that I share how playing and practising music didn’t stop because of my injury. Budo training didn’t stop because of my injury. If the desire and motivation are there, you can find ways to practice safely with an injury.

MIttori Keiko: Training by Watching

The accident happened just before Ka Muso Kai’s biennial seminar with Colin Hyakutake Watkin sensei, Menkyo Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu and 12th Shihan, Choken Battojutsu Kagéryu. With my injured finger in a splint for three weeks, I became the official notetaker for the seminar.

Martial arts seminars are quite intense and sometimes, it is hard to remember the big revelation you had 30 minutes prior because you’re so focussed on trying to get the current technique right. Pen in hand, I was able to take copious notes and follow Watkin sensei around to catch additional tips and corrections.

As I had several students preparing for summer exams and piano camp, I still had to practice music. I dusted off the practice techniques I employ whenever I suffer an repetitive strain injury (or the aforementioned pot roast incident): scorestudy, rhythm work and studying videos of performances.

It was rinse and repeat on the budo side of things. Between notes, training manuals and videos, I had plenty to study.

One-Handed Piano and Sword Practice

Shortly after the accident, I contacted several colleagues for repertoire suggestions for the right-hand alone. I remembered that composer and pedagogue, Dennis Alexander, composed a piece for another colleague, Ingrid Clarfield (the first clinician we had at Piano Camp). Dennis sent me a list of all of his compositions for right-hand alone. Here’s Arioso:

I wound up with a sizeable list of repertoire for one hand. It’s a longer list than I actually needed, but I’ll hang onto it in case someone else suffers a hand injury. Another colleague reminded me to practice my blues licks. However, I found that hard to do without my left hand. I wound up playing a simple bass line with one or two fingers, being careful not to jostle my index finger.

I also used the opportunity to work on my ear training, by playing one hand’s piano part and trying to sing the other hand’s part. Let’s just say that needs more work.

My kouhai were surprised to see me at the dojo a week after the seminar. With their Jodo grading fast approaching, I wanted to be on hand to assist with preparations. When not coaching, I worked on my footwork and right-handed sword cuts.

Practising the Other Instruments

Brightly coloured wrap - because #YOLO.

Singing and conducting got plenty of practice time last month. I wound up filling in for our choir directors at church. It probably looked odd conducting with a finger in a splint, and wrapped in brightly coloured cohesive wrap but hey, it gave my finger something to do. I was allowed to do gentle flexing movements, so it could handle cues and cut-offs just fine. My morning routine of rolling small items around on my kitchen table with my injured index finger paid off.

My poor finger worked incredibly hard in those first three weeks to reconnect the affected nerves. The “Re-connection Parties” were quite intense whenever I practised or trained. The neurons fired madly, as if the finger knew that it should be playing or training.

Easing Back into Regular Practice and Training with a Hand Injury

The splint came off at the three week mark and I was cleared for physiotherapy. My surgeon also gave the green light to ease myself back into piano practice, but to hold off on the other instruments and putting a sword or jo in my left hand for a bit longer.

I had to train my brain to accept that LH2 feeling funny is normal - at least until the neuroregeneration process is complete. As my left hand was significantly weaker than my right, I pulled out several technical exercise books from my shelves: Schmitt, Jazz Hanon, Dozen a Day, etc. Even just practicing good ol’ scales, chords, and arpeggii, analyzing my fingers and hand position helped.

In fact, I learned that my injured finger really needs to practice daily as part of my hand rehabilitation. I didn’t practice piano for a day-and-a-half during the August long weekend. By 10 pm, my hand was screaming for the piano. Practising was the only thing that made the pain stop.

Week 6: On the Road to Being a Fully Functional Musician & Budoka Once Again

On the weekend, I eased myself back into regular training at the dojo. Remember in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry and his newly repaired holly and phoenix feather wand had a joyful reunion? That’s what it felt like when my left hand was able to hold my iaito.

Left-hand and sword reunited. Photo: R-M Arca.

I started with two-handed sword cuts and working through the Seitei Iaido kata. Although I had to take frequent breaks to stretch my finger and massage scar tissue, my hand “felt” happy to be back at training.

Last night, I worked on Jodo kata in partners, as well as the majority of the Iaido kata I know. The scar tissue proved annoying more than anything else, but I managed to get some good training in. I should be able to handle this weekend’s Iaido and Jodo seminar, so long as I give my finger all the stretch and massage breaks it needs.

This week, the tenderness decreased enough for me to resume barehanded cajón playing. I can already tell that it will be a great way to break up the scar tissue.

Flexibility, dexterity, sensation, and strength are coming back steadily. Both my surgeon and physiotherapist are pleased with my finger’s progress. Based on their reactions, it seems like my finger is recovering faster than they anticipated.

Almost a fist. Steady progress.

Although I can’t handle playing advanced piano repertoire or technique up to speed, I’m getting pretty close. The new nerves are slowly making their way down to my hand. In the meantime, I am taking this opportunity to read through my student repertoire library, play through all the technical exercise books I own, and take a bunch of online piano pedagogy courses. Pretty productive despite a hand injury.

Check out my hand rehabilitation journey on the Studio’s Instagram feed:

Work and Budo Modifications with a Back Injury

As some of you know, I injured my back a couple of weeks ago. No, I wasn’t doing anything really cool like one of our awesome Iaido or Jodo kata, or going really wild on the cajón. I was simply sitting poorly at my desk and twisted funny when I got up to grab something from the printer. That’s when I felt a terrible twinge in my lower back. Next thing I knew, my body completely closed in and I could barely walk.

Thankfully, I was able to see my chiropractor the following day for an emergency adjustment. He said that I completely jammed up my sacral region. I then compounded things by still using my active sitting discs while doubled up in pain for an additional day, thus aggravating my coccyx (tailbone) while sitting.

“This isn’t going to feel better right away,” he told me. “It will take a few adjustments.” He sent me hobbling off with the following advice, “Keep moving and try to avoid sitting as much as you can.” Well, considering that I need to sit at two of my instruments and work on a computer quite a bit, adjustments needed to be made.

Modifying the Studio for a Back Injury

The first thing that I rolled out of the studio was my exercise ball, which I used as my teaching chair. Next, I raised the stand for my digital piano so that I could play from standing. I spend half my time teaching from standing, so that wasn’t a big deal. However, I needed to come up with a different way to rest my muscles during lessons somehow.

I discovered during one of my shorter ushering shifts was that kneeling and going in and out of seiza was perfectly fine for my back. Seiza is the formal Japanese way of sitting, which we use in martial arts training. It’s more of a kneeling sit, although our buttocks float over our ankles. So teaching from kneeling or seiza made the afternoon and evening lessons go well. And stretching. Lots of stretching. I used these sacral release stretches quit a bit.

I’ve been getting into Child’s pose more regularly since my back injury. Credit: Iveto

My trusty Dr. Ho and Maestro’s old infrared pad have been a great help in the healing process. When I’m out running errands or working at one of my part-time jobs, I use Icy Hot patches.

Five days after my injury, I bought a Coccyx wedge to use in the car. I thought I could use it in the office and studio, but half the time, the wedge went flying off the seat because I move so much.

Coccyx cushion. Credit: R-M Arca.

One week after my back injury, I bought a kneeling chair from Staples to use in the office and studio. Too bad I got rid of my original chair a few years back. I am sitting in this one properly though, which is a huge improvement from last time.

Now that I’m using the kneeling chair properly (no slouching), things are going swimmingly. Credit: R-M Arca.

I’m in the process of building up my sitting endurance at the piano and cajón. I sit more or less properly at my instruments, so the only big change is that I still need to do short practice sessions with time to do sacral release stretches in between.

It was extremely easy to reconfigure my piano studio in such as way that I could take it easy on my back. Credit: R-M Arca.

Modifying Budo Training with a Back Injury

My chiropractor and massage therapist probably got tired of me asking, “When can I go back to training?” One visit, my chiropractor asked me describe the movements involved when we train. He was already grimacing when I started to show how we unsheathe our swords. I promptly stopped before my back said, “Don’t make me do sayabiki!”

Then, I tried to slowly demonstrate Uke nagashi, our third Iaido kata from the seitei set:

He stopped me very quickly and told me hold off until my back had healed some more. “No twisting.”

I have had to make myself content with practising my footwork and moving in and out of seiza. I have also been drilling small sections in my kata, such as o-chiburi, that don’t involve me to change directions. My visualization isn’t the greatest, but I’ve been mentally reviewing my troublespots and asking sensei questions every few days about something I’ve noticed or read.

However, the main way that I’ve been keeping up with training is studying. I’ve got years’ worth of notes to review, as well as manuals for the four marital arts we practice (Iaido, Jodo, Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, and Choken Battojutsu Kageryu). Plus, there are always videos featuring some of of our sensei that I can watch.

Today, my chiropractor cleared me to ease myself back into regular training. I have a feeling that I’ll be doing a lot of solo practice at “Tai Chi slow” speed, taking time to dissect every movement for the first little while.

Lessons Learned from Injuring my Back

If anything, hurting my back has given me the opportunity to assess and adjust how I move and sit. During the first few days, I really had to break down how I did things like get on or off my bed into small segments. I am certainly sitting and getting on and off chairs more carefully these days.

I have definitely become more mindful of my body’s state as a result. Being more mindful can only be good, right?