Music, Teaching, Learning, and Life

I find it interesting how various experiences and interactions with people have influenced the direction of my life.  I’m certain most others would say the same.  I don’t intend to sound like an advertisement for VanderCook College of Music, however, the people and classes there made a huge impact on my life and my teaching!

My husband and I made the “irrevocable” decision when we married that we would raise our kids in a single community.  I had moved several times before I went to college and had no desire to do that to my kids.  To make a long story short, we did end up moving when our kids were 13 and 10, after 16 years of marriage, in spite of all we had previously vowed.  The move happened VERY quickly:  a phone call, job interview, and job offer beginning in early July, 2004 for my husband; and subsequently I filled out applications, had a job interview, and received a job offer for middle school general music/assistant band director at the end of July.  Our family completed the move two days before my girls started the school year!

That first year was difficult in several ways, but as I mentioned in my last entry, it led me to start the band track classes in VanderCook’s Masters Program.   Through the course of that next summer and throughout the following year, I came to several conclusions that I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t figured out before!  First, I had never REALLY learned how to listen to music, either while teaching or when playing myself.  Also, I realized I hadn’t tried terribly hard to develop my clarinet skills during earlier school years.  I had been guilty of coasting along on whatever talent I had and a smattering of practice every once in a while.

Elizabeth Green in her book Practicing Successfully (GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago, 2006) writes, “Practicing is an adult activity.  It takes mature determination.  No wonder children view it with little enthusiasm!” (p. 19)  When Dr. Menghini referred to that statement in one of my classes, I began to wonder what might happen if I practiced with focus, deliberation, and consistency.  More importantly, I began to see students differently.  I certainly don’t have the answers, but because of the people I met and the classes I took at VanderCook, I learned how to ask myself some of the questions that I needed to ask to make me a better teacher.

The idea presented in Green’s book created the desire in me to see what would happen if I practiced regularly…four to six times a week, for at least 30 minutes as a goal.  I became my own personal experiment!  That was two years ago.  Many times, I haven’t quite met the goal for the week, but sometimes, I far exceed it!  Have I become better than my wildest dreams?  No.  BUT, I’ve slowly come to a place where I’m playing better than I ever have!  The last few months haven’t been my best practicing months, but I’m back on track since the end of December.  It’s similar to what I read in Brian Stephens’ blog a day or two ago:  like a toddler, I’ve had to pick myself up after a fall and get going again!

Two years ago, I made the decision to take lessons and start practicing regularly not with the goal of making money or a career out of playing, but as a means of continuing to learn as a musician myself.  The journey is SO worth it!!!  Today, I pulled out a “new” piece of music:  Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock which I haven’t played since college.  Even after a really good day of teaching today, I was exhausted emotionally and mentally.  After the first 15 minutes of practicing my clarinet, though, I not only felt revived, but I was reminded again why I chose to TEACH music!  I want students to love the experience of music as much as I do.

I imagine most music teachers reading this entry feel the same!