What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Wow! This is finals week. How exactly did that happen?
We have a Mockingbird nest in our tree and have been amused as the parents have patiently enticed their little ones out into the world by patiently moving the food further and further away. They have flown now and we can walk in our backyard without fear of swooping mama bears- I mean birds.
My students are also off into the world this week. Some are transferring to music programs at 4 year institutions, some are beginning careers in other fields. Some will return next fall after a summer to themselves.
When I was a student, summers were the time when I integrated what I had learned that year and made it mine. I had oodles of time to practice without those pesky other subjects making demands on my time and energy. I got lots of sleep, so I could work refreshed everyday.
I was able to pay attention to myself and my music without the distraction of inevitable comparisons with my colleagues. I attended music camps and found some new ideas, some old ideas stated in new ways, and confirmation of what I was doing well and what I needed to work on.
Summers were the time I could get a solid start on repertoire for the next year. I could sight read. I could take a few weeks off and do absolutely nothing. I could discover some new works on my own. Believe me, discovery is priceless. At one time, I had quite the micromanager for a teacher and time to discover on my own became precious to me.
It wasn’t always idyllic. I got frustrated. I made some embarrassing mistakes in style and interpretation. But, I also got some things really right. I stretched myself. I learned how to ask some tough questions about myself, music, and life. I actually answered some of them.
All this is my wish for all my students over the next few months. I hope you all find the same joy in making what you have learned over the last year(s) your own. I hope you get frustrated- but not too frustrated. I hope you ask yourself deep questions even if you only find answers for some of them. I hope you find joy in musical discovery.
