I experienced an odd dichotomy this week. The administration at my school district (where I work as an elementary band teacher; also my children’s district) is taking a hard look at our widely acclaimed, award-winning music program and making changes. I won’t go into specifics, but I spent much of my week preparing for meetings, […]
music
The First Day of Band
This week is the first-ever day of band for my fourth graders. Yesterday was Beekman’s first rehearsal; today is Vail Farm’s. As my Beekman kids walked into the cafeteria in the morning, carrying their instruments to store on the stage, I called out to them. “Who’s excited for band?” When they called back, “I am!” […]
Cross-Pollinating Creative Practice
“How would you practice this?” I asked my private flute student. She’s in ninth grade, very talented, and currently working through the Anderson Opus 24 Etude book. (Flutists will know the one.) “What would you do first?” She told me that she’d play through the first few lines very slowly. Then, once she’d gotten a […]
Dance When You’re Feeling Blue
This afternoon, I had to get my daughter to her toddler dance class. I had to drag my son along with me, because there was no one else to watch him. It was raining, and no one was in a good mood. I was feeling frustrated by an unpleasant pharmacy experience and grumbling about the […]
Top 10 Pivotal Moments
Could you list the most pivotal moments in your life? I’d never given the idea much thought until I read a novel in which pivotal moments were a major theme. The characters, who possessed wildly different personalities, uncannily shared a few major life events that could be traced back to similar pivotal moments. These moments […]
Practicing Bravery on Flute and Life
Yesterday I played my flute, which is not something I do very often in a non-teaching environment. I used to have major skills; I don’t anymore. It can be depressing to try and play a piece that I performed for a college recital, for example, and listen to myself make multiple mistakes I’d never have […]