The cleaning crew came yesterday.  Three ladies who spent one hour going through my studio with their vacuums, dusters, spray bottles and other assorted cleaning supplies. It was a first for me.  I have always dreamed of having the money to pay for a cleaning crew to come but have never been able to swing it.  It’s not that I hate cleaning when I have the time to do it.  It’s just that the time I do have to clean with isn’t sufficient for the standard of cleanliness I expect.  So I fired myself and made a trade with lessons for cleaning.

With the economy the way it is lately, bartering and trading is keeping a lot of students on track with their piano lessons.  Parents can’t afford the fee but are willing to trade for services.  My services for theirs, from cleaning services to getting my house painted and the roof repaired.  Fathers and Mothers can continue to work, I continue to have a full studio, and students can have their musical education  uninterrupted, which is so important.  Talk about a win-win-win situation.  It goes to show you that even economic clouds can have a silver lining.