Summertime, Part II

Last week I had the privilege of volunteering at an arts camp here in Annapolis.  Arts Mentorship Academy, run by Creating Communities, is a weeklong camp for underprivileged youth in Anne Arundel County.  Interest and participation this year was so great, 2 camps ran concurrently; the 120 students, ages 7 - 17,  divided to small groups, enjoyed learning various art forms taught by master artists and teachers.

Each morning started with a short meditation, where the children quieted themselves, read affirmations and poetry, and prepared for the day ahead.  One class taught the art of journaling and book-making; another featured origami.  I assisted in the painting room, where we painted picture frames and created a 4 panel mural "Life Is Art Is Life," which was the theme of this year's camp.  

The dance portion of the camp was especially noteworthy.  The 10 or 12 students in each group collaborated on a dance, each group creating its own ballet, hip-hop, or blues expression.  The children work together to develop a theme, offered suggestions, and chose dance steps and gestures to express their theme.  The final product was a beautiful portrayal of cooperation.

As do many arts camps, Arts Mentorship Academy brought the week to a close with a performance.  The campers invited family and friends to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, to see and enjoy all that they had learned over the week.  I have already doted on the dancers.  Some children displayed their journals, and shared some of their entries, specifically a day or experience in their life that is etched upon their heart.  The stories all told of the love of family, and brought a tear to many an eye in the audience.  Others read affirmations and poetry they had written.  Two boys spoke on what this camp experience meant to them.

At the close of the program, all were invited to share a meal before heading home.  These kids took home with them great experiences of leadership and cooperation; they learned to calm themselves when all around them is wild; they learned to express themselves through dance, words, music and art.

To learn more about the Arts Mentorship Academy, and to see how you can support this and other various  on-going projects and programs, please go to 
www.creatingcommunities.net.  There you can also see pictures from camp.  What a great week it was! 

Summertime

...and the living is easy.  With fewer students in the summer, I have extra time to consider volunteer options in the community.  I had run a piano class at the Stanton Center in Annapolis last year.  Seven girls on seven keyboards.  We all enjoyed the camaraderie and the creativity.  Not sure I can beat that.

So, I've offered to return to the Stanton Center, and perhaps the LightHouse Shelter as well.  I love teaching, and I love sharing the joy of creating music with others.  Wish me luck.

Spring Soiree

I hosted our annual spring soiree last night.  I think this is the kids' favorite performance opportunity of the year.    First they play whatever it is we've been working on these last few weeks, then it's cookie bedlam and open-piano, when they get to play anything and everything.  It is always a pleasure to see the parents' faces when their child is performing, a privilege I am denied at the formal Spring Recital.

No, the soiree is an informal music party, where we gather around the living room, and enjoy the children's successes.  I had one adult student join us this year.  Not to play, oh, no.  He had a much more important role, that of drawing the name of the next performer.

Yes, the students perform in random order.  No time to get nervous.  Just walk on up and give it your best.  One of my youngest students, just 5 years old, fractured his wrist last week.  He still wanted to play!  He performed the Ode to Joy, from Beethoven's 9th, and The New World Symphony, by Dvorak, right hand alone.  And no music!  He got up from the bench, bowed very confidently, and rushed back to his mother's lap.

I'd stated in an earlier post that The Bow needs attention.  We worked on that last night.  Funny thing, the kids seem more self-conscious with The Bow, they feel silly and the subject of possible ridicule.  They are very comfortable at the piano, even when they forget where to start, even when they make mistakes, even when I ask them to play it again.  The Bow has been my most challenging lesson -- go figure.

I love the soiree.  I love the kids' confidence and enthusiasm.  I love the parents' pride and satisfaction.  I love that they can see how I interact, a little differently with each child.  Oh, I love my job!

Spring Recital, I

The end of the school year is in sight.  Recital season is upon us.  I hold my recital in April, actually.  Spring sports, ballet recitals, school concerts, warm weather all tend to keep my students from regular practice, so the April recital.  I then hold an end-of-the-year soiree where the kids play whatever they want, and we celebrate with cookies and drink.  The kids love the atmosphere of the soiree; the parents appreciate the early spring recital.  

Starting in January, if not before, we choose recital repertoire. This year, all my students are in elementary school, a first for me, actually.  For the older students, I pushed a Mostly Mozart theme.  We worked diligently on their Mozart compositions, most of them adapted for younger fingers.  By early April, the kids were tired of Mozart; they knew all the notes, the rhythm, the tempo; they wanted to play something else.  I too was ready to move on, but they had yet to perform!  So, instead, we worked on subtle nuances in the score, and you know, they caught on!  They got into it, the crescendi, the diminuendi, and they played music, not just notes.  Come recital time, the young pianists are well-prepared for performance.  I too know every piece inside and out.  I play along (on my imaginary keyboard) as each student performs.  I hold my breath at each difficult phrase.  

This year I was so proud of one boy in particular who has a penchant for playing loud, always loud.  He was the most vocal about moving on.  Until that little spark, that little something in the music that grabbed him.  He noticed the dynamic markings, the quiet first theme, the louder repeat, the build to the climax and the release.  For the first time, I think he heard the music.  He knew what he wanted to produce, he listened and worked until he got it.  And he got it!  

They all did well.  The soiree is in 2 weeks, and everyone is getting excited about performing again, and then to summer break.  I am also looking forward to a week or 2 off.  Ah, summer.  But I want everyone back on the piano bench before too long.  I love teaching!  

Seriously

I have not been a good blogger, now have I?  I intend to amend that situation, starting today.  I intend to write something at least once a week.  All "the best laid plans" aside, I hope I can meet my challenge.  Too often, the computer means Spider Solitaire and FreeCell.  I hope to amend that practice as well.

My Spring Recital is just a week away.  In past years, my student base included elementary to high school students.  This year, I find all my students are elementary age, and most are beginners.  I'm working on the program tonight.  My theme this year is Mostly Mozart.  A relatively seasoned student complained he'd been "working on that Mozart piece for so long", why not something else for the recital?  It's a thin line, between introducing recital material too early or starting too late to master for performance.  And yes, we have been working on Mozart for quite some time, but there is still room for improvement, still need to practice and review, to polish for performance.  He gets it; he's just ready to move on.  One more week...

My Quiet Winter

You'd think I'd forgotten about my blog, it's been so long since I've posted.  

It's been a quiet winter.  Oh, wait!  Did I say that?  No, it's been a magical winter!  Going into the Christmas holiday, I had 6 students.  Coming out of that same holiday, I had 18 students!  I still don't know what happened, but I am ever thankful, and extremely happy.  

I had the honor of accompanying at a few elementary school holiday concerts, both in December and in January.  Chorus, band, and strings, depending on the school.  I've got to commend our young, aspiring musicians.  They worked very hard for these concerts, coming to school early for rehearsal, giving up recess for rehearsals, and most importantly, practicing at home!  Yes, even the chorus members had homework -- all their songs were performed from memory.  I was so happy to have been at each performance,  to accompany these groups, and mostly to have experienced their pride in their success!  

My own students are preparing for a mini-recital, to be held this next Saturday for the Alzheimer's residents of the nearby assisted living complex.  There are times when it is quite obvious that someone hasn't practiced since his last lesson.  Not so recently however!  The improvements these kids have shown this past month is remarkable.  We are concentrating on Mozart this year: not your standard elementary level repertoire.  I am so proud of the progress they all have made, learning new notes, new rhythms, dynamic shadings.  They have worked hard, and I can hear it.  I think they can hear it too, and are anxious to perform.   If I remember to take pictures, I'll post a few here next week.

Halloween! part 2

The residents of Sunrise Assisted Living had a big day last Sunday.  An hour of music, piano and vocal, followed by juice and cookies, made for a fun-filled afternoon.  My piano students entertained with Halloween Carols.  I was proud of each of them -- they introduced themselves and spoke about the music they would play.  They were poised and articulate.  Good job, kids!

After the piano portion of the event,  a seven-person, high school choral group led the residents in a sing-along.  I accompanied them as they shared music dear to the residents' ears.  Most of the residents joined in singing -- they had the words printed out to read, but I think most of them already knew most of the songs.  Unfortunately for me, I had my back to them the whole time, but I could hear their enthusiasm as they all sang together.

I am hoping for a reprise concert in December.  Not the same music, but the same venue and performers.  The pianists are already working on some Christmas music to perform.  Just have to get the high school choristers pumped to come back.  That shouldn't be too tough; they may have had more fun than any of us!