In late January, I sent a Zillow house listing to my wife. That simple moment put us on a whirlwind course fraught with anxieties of all sorts. Not only would we be dealing with the usual stresses of moving our home, I also had to move my music lessons business!

We’ve lived for 22 years at our previous home, a townhome in Glen Burnie. For the most part, we loved our time there. But for a few years now (perhaps catalyzed by the pandemic) we wanted a change.

We wanted a yard. A place to enjoy the outdoors on a whim rather than having to pack up and go to the park. We wanted a quieter neighborhood that had water privileges. Finally, our ideal new home must have a large space with a separate entrance that I could use for my music lessons studio.

We found the perfect home at the very first house that we toured. Not too big, plenty of yard, quiet neighborhood, walking distance to the Severn River and, lo and behold, a side entrance directly into a large room. We fell in love instantly. The other seven homes that we visited that day barely had a chance.

After deciding on our new home in Crownsville, the question of whether my students would be willing to follow me to the new location loomed. The new house is 20 minutes away from the old home in Glen Burnie. Am I going to lose half of my students? It would be unreasonable to expect everyone to come along. Surely, some of my students will say “no thanks and good luck” at a glimpse of the new commute, I thought.

As I talked to my students about my intentions to move to Crownsville, my anxiety started to wane. Surprisingly, everyone was not only willing to move with me, but they were excited to see the new studio! I could hardly believe the support and enthusiasm.

Now, months later and after I’ve settled in to my new place, I can exhale and reflect on the ride we’ve been on. I’m astounded, humbled and grateful that despite moving across the county, I didn’t lose a single student. Everyone made what could have been a stressful moving experience into a reassuring one. I’m a lucky teacher and to all of my students, I say, “thank you. You are the best.”

For more information about me and the guitar lessons that I give in and around Anne Arundel County, visit www.ewguitar.com.