Life is Good

Oh my goodness, what happened to September?!  Suddenly, it's cold enough to need scarves and sweaters (and salted caramel mochas) and it's dark by the time we sit down to dinner in the evenings.  Yes, the weeks are flying by but every day is so fulfilling.  I absolutely love the work I am doing!  Life is full, life is busy, and life is very rewarding.

Life is good, y'all.

I used to be afraid of change.  In some ways, I still am - it's different, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar.  But you know what I'm learning?  Despite all this, change can be a good thing.  Really good.  The past few months have been full of change for us but it's good change.  It's a growing kind of change.  I jumped back into the life of a full-time student (which I love), Steve recreated his daily routine, we've been humbled by God's goodness to us (more than we could have asked for), we found a new church home (and joined the choir!), we defined our new "normal."  There have been a few challenging moments for sure but when I consider the number of wonderful, new opportunities we've both had of late, I find I can be nothing but grateful for all this change.

Every day is a chance to make things happen, learn something new, or teach something.  I came across an awesome quote in my reading this week: "Doing creates knowing" (Patricia Miller).  This holds so much truth in so many areas of my life right now.  Go and do this week.  Don't just think about it or talk about it or wish about it.  Go and love.  Go and teach.  Go and give back.  Go and live life to its fullest.  Go and make it happen!

xo, Ashley

P.S. Next month, we'll be celebrating our first anniversary!  Can you believe it?  What an adventure this year has been!  So grateful.

Cultivating Creativity

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original."

What a great quote by Sir Ken Robinson.

Confession: Sometimes, I get caught up watching TED Talks.  They're just so engaging and each presenter has something unique to say.  Topics are often very different but the commonality is found in the discussion of innovation, education, technology, and creativity.  In this talk, Sir Ken Robinson talks about the creativity of young children and how our educational system counteracts it (i.e. kills it) in favor of more important subject matter (math and science).  He offers three useful points when describing intelligence:

1. Intelligence is diverse. We think visually, in sound, and kinesthetically; we think in abstract, we think through movement.

2. Intelligence is dynamic. The brain is interactive.  Creativity often comes about through different disciplinary ways of seeing things.

3. Intelligence is distinct. How did you discover your talent?

How can we cultivate creativity in our teaching?

New Student Orientation

Last week was New Student Orientation at Eastman.  It feels a little surreal - I am so, so grateful to be back.

Orientation Week generally includes advising sessions, placement exams, meet-and-greet events, tours, and a few special events for all the new students.  For me, the week looked like this:

• Day 1: a meeting with my advisor to discuss course options, an appointment to get my new ID card, and an info fair on local organizations
• Day 2: breakfast with the deans and a TA meeting
• Days 3 and 4: placement exams (and three more meetings)
• Day 5: registration day

Amidst the flurry of excitement, there were a few stressful moments.  First, those dreaded placement exams. 

A little back story: I've been studying Renaissance music history (in great detail) and counterpoint (Renaissance through Early Classical) for a month now.  (You see, when I started my masters at Eastman a few years ago, I passed both the music history and the theory placement exams.  Now, as a returning student, I was only required to take certain portions of each test.)  I was ready for the tests but it's still a lot of pressure.  If you don't pass these tests, you're required to take extra (remedial) courses before graduating.  Not only does that add hours to your schedule but it also costs more than a pretty penny. 

Anyway, I walked into the history exam on Wednesday and got a copy of the test.  Because I had taken it before, they included a copy of my previous scores in the packet but I realized right away I was looking at someone else's scores.  Come to find out (after taking the test anyway), I passed everything the first time and didn't need to take this test at all.  They had the wrong placement exam on file the whole time.  Seriously.

Naturally, I treated myself to a lemon cookie from my favorite bakery on the way home.

The second most stressful part of the week - course scheduling.  I walked into my first advising meeting of the week bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with a 3-page list of courses I wanted to take with credits, days/times, and teachers already written out.  Yes, I'm that girl.  The problem was not my level of preparedness; the problem was that most of the courses on my list were already full.

I won't tell you how many times I rewrote my schedule in five days.

By Thursday, I finally had four classes that were still open and did not conflict with my TA schedule and I had approval from the dean to add an additional credit to this semester.  Then, I went to register.  One of the courses I had chosen was only open to theory majors and another course had waaaay too many projects and assignments.

After a small meltdown, Steve and I looked through the list one more time and found a course that was still open.  Thank goodness.  In the end, it's an eclectic mix: theories of human development, sacred music, studio teaching, and 19th century music history.  It's a perfect sampler of everything I am hoping to incorporate into my program of study.

Year 1 starts today!

When Music Happens

Steve posted this video on his blog last week and I just had to share it with you.  I know we've all seen flash mob videos circulating the web - particularly the ones of choirs breaking into the "Hallelujah Chorus" in the middle of an unassuming place like a mall food court.  After a point, they all seem the same.  But, when Steve played this video for me one evening last week, I was moved.  There is something so powerful about the way music just happens in this video.

Music is meant to be shared.  It's a language, a form of communication.  It's about interaction.  I love, love, love the expressions on the listeners' faces as they watch and listen - especially the children.  Look at that joy!  Everyone gathered on the street that day seemed to really be a part of the music as it was happening.  They weren't sitting silently in a dark auditorium - they're smiling and pointing and sharing the experience with the people around them.  And doesn't it just warm your heart to see how many aspiring conductors were in the crowd?!  I hope this inspires you to get out there and be a part of the music happening in your community.  Let's make music happen.

Child's Play

It was gorgeous here on Saturday.  Too gorgeous to sit inside all day.  So, I took my notes, my current summer reading material, and my new pair of sunglasses and packed up for an afternoon of studying in the park.

A few people passed by on their way to the bus stop, the coffee shop, or the parking garage and didn't take much notice of me on my bench.  A middle-aged woman and two young children crossed the street and sat on the bench to wait for the bus.  The children - two girls, the oldest was maybe seven and her sister either four or five - immediately began exploring the park.

Instantly, they were in play.

"Hi!" the oldest said to me as she rounded the curve where I was sitting.  "Hi!" I said back, smiling.  She continued on her way, with her sister following close behind, imitating her every step.  "This is the path to the princess," the older one said.  I pretended to read my notes as I watched them play.  They were skipping around the same section of the park - an oblong circle - but every time they rounded the corner, it was as if it was brand new territory to explore.

"Y'all get down from there!" a voice said from behind me.  "You're going to fall!"

The girls returned quickly to where their "Nana" was waiting but within a minute or two, they were back on their quest for the missing princess.  "For real, for real, this is the way to the princess," the older one said as they made their way around the circle again.  "Princess!" the younger one called out.  Within minutes, they went from searching for the princess to chasing the princess through the magical forest.  They changed direction and circled round the same section of the park as if it were brand new.

"Y'all stop that!  Come over and sit on this bench.  You're going to miss the bus!" the voice said again.

The girls again paused their game of play and sat for a moment but just as before, they were quickly on their feet again.  Now, the game was Hide and Seek.  The older one ran across the little park to a new section (yet to be explored) and the younger one soon followed.  As they chased each other around the flower bed in the middle of the park, they saw a bright orange butterfly.  They both froze in an instant, mesmerized.  The older one quickly gave instructions to her sister - "Wait here, I'll get it," she said as she tiptoed closer and closer.  As she reached her hand out slowly, the butterfly flew up into the air suddenly, causing both little girls to jump back and squeal.  Now, the game was "chase the butterfly."  A man blowing leaves off the park benches jumped into the game for a minute when he reached his hands up as the butterfly flew overhead.  The girls giggled.

Within the span of twenty minutes or so, these girls moved seamlessly from one idea to another without discussion (i.e. "now what should we do" or "how about we play this?") and without explanation (i.e. "so, there's this princess in a magical forest and we're going to go find her").  They were in almost constant play the entire time (except for those intervening moments where an adult told them to STOP playing and wait for the bus).  I was struck by their uninhibited creativity, their level of imagination, and the quick change of pace.

This is play.

Do we remember what it feels like?  How did we forget?  Do we encourage it when we see it or do we tell children to stop playing so they can do something boring and adult like sit on a bench waiting for the bus?

Maybe play is more important than sitting and waiting.  Maybe play is more important than watching TV all afternoon.  Maybe real play is more important than playing games on a handheld device.  Play is how we learn, how we grow, and how we develop creativity.  Play is how we learn to interact with others.  Play is how we learn to dream, discover, and explore.  Have you searched for the lost princess lately?  For real, for real, this is the way.

Image Credit: my iPhone

Hymn Sing

There's something truly inspiring about community singing.  The act of bringing people of all ages and all professions together and singing something - in unison or in harmony - is a tradition rich in history and meaning.  Picture this scene from the early 20th century:

April 5, 1919

“At the first session of Farmers’ Week Mrs. Steele faced a packed house. 

There were the reserved farmer and his family, the classic self-conscious professor, the shy freshman, the all-wise sophomore and the learned upper-classman.  In addition, townspeople of all ages and professions were present. . . .With breathless suspense we waited to see what Mrs. Steele would do with this unusual gathering.  Was it possible to make this audience sing?  If Mrs. Steele had any trepidation or misgivings she did not betray them but stepped forward in her inimitable manner and said:

“First, I want everyone in this audience to know that he can sing.  Why, everyone can and everyone wants to sing.  It’s the simplest thing in the world.  All you have to do is to forget about yourself; it’s self-consciousness that prevents most persons from trying.  Can you sing?  Of course you can.  I know it.  We are going to sing the first verse of The Star-Spangled Banner.  Stand erect, hands straight down at your sides.  Now open your mouths and sing.” 

And with one movement of her baton the entire audience, led by the university band, the university glee club and the trained chorus of county agents, burst forth. . . .

"Don’t you see that you can all sing?” said Mrs. Steele. 

“People get confidence in themselves when they hear others who have no more training than they have singing along with them.  Now you know what Community Singing is. . . .It is the expression of the mass soul in song.  A singing of the people, for the people, by the people.”

Trosper, B.B. (1919). “Community Sings,” excerpt. The Country Gentleman, Vol. 84. Luther Tucker & Son (63-64).

---

Isn't that great?!  I especially love that last part: "Community singing. . . .is the expression of mass soul in song. . . .of the people, for the people, by the people."

Last Sunday, Steve and I walked to church for "Tent Sunday" - the one Sunday a year where choir members, pastors, and lay readers move outside the walls of the Sanctuary; where the organist plays a Casio keyboard; where the pages of the Bible on the altar flip back and forth in the wind; where the congregation sits in folding chairs and bulletins are used as fans. 

The service began with a good, old-fashioned hymn sing. 

For those of you who might not be familiar with the tradition, a hymn sing is a time when hymn favorites are called out by members of the choir and the congregation for all to sing.  Together, everyone turns to "#77," for instance and sings 1-2 verses.  Folks generally have their favorites ready to shout out at the conclusion of each hymn.  Hands go up, numbers are called out, and murmurs of, "Oh yes, I love that one," are heard above the fluttering of hymnal pages.  With a brief introduction, the crowd joins together with fullest voices, truly singing their hearts out.

Isn't this what it's all about?

Music is often considered an outward expression of the soul.  Creating music together - with children and babies and grandmas and youth; with those who read music and those who know the words by heart and those who are experiencing it for the first time  - that is the expression of all of our souls combined.  How great is that?! 

"Of the people, for the people, by the people" and how sweet it is.

Moving Day + Learning to Unplug

We did it!

Earlier this week, we packed up everything we own, fit it into a 17' U-Haul, and made the trip from MA to upstate NY.  I am so grateful for the nice weather and the help of good friends on both ends.  It is no easy task moving my oversized dresser up and down the stairs! 

We have been working nonstop these past few days trying to get settled and get things unpacked.  Here's a sneak peek of our new place — y'all, it's awesome!!

It's times like these that I am especially grateful for a slower work schedule in the summer months.  This is my time to recharge, balance my priorities, and unplug from things for a little while.

Learning to unplug and disconnect from the world for a bit means I can focus on the things (and the people) in front of me. 

I don't need to check my email every hour.  I don't need to sit on my computer all morning jumping back and forth between Facebook, my website, and my placement exam notes (though, studying is important!).  I don't need to read every tweet that pops up in my feed.  There are more important things. 

Moving makes unplugging a little easier, it's true.  I haven't turned my computer on since Saturday!  I think I've sent three emails since the weekend.  I check my phone every few hours for missed calls/messages and any new emails; otherwise, it's in another room so I can work free from distractions.

There will always be emails to send, accounts to check, and articles to read. 

For me, the greatest thing about making a conscious effort to unplug is the renewed focus I have when I choose to plug back in.  Now, that time I take to sit in front of a computer screen has purpose.  I have specific things I want to get done so I can get back to the things in life that really matter.  Like evening walks to get frozen custard.  And unwinding time with SD on the rooftop before dinner.  And morning trips to the farmer's market.

Disconnect to reconnect.  Choose what matters.

Call Me Maybe

Confession: I dance to this song when it comes on the radio. Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" is catchy, easy to learn, and upbeat.  What I learned about the hit single this week is that kids love it.

Hey, I just met you and this is crazy, But here's my number, So call me maybe.

I took on a new student for my summer term this year (despite that fact that I'm moving) mostly because the parent's wanted their 9-year-old daughter to have a few trial lessons to see if she would be interested in pursuing the piano sometime in the future.  In planning a course of action, we decided a combined approach of learning a few familiar pieces by rote and reinforcing her rhythm and tonal reading skills would be best.  In four short lessons, we were able to work through a few chapters of The Music Tree: Part I and learn a few pieces solely by ear.

Yesterday was her last lesson.  She came in smiling and her mom said she had been picking out several new songs by ear this week and was loving really learning how to play the piano.  I used this as a jumping off point for our lesson.  "What songs have you been teaching yourself this week?" I asked.  She named a few songs I didn't recognize and then, nonchalantly, "Call Me Maybe."  "You know 'Call Me Maybe'?  Let's hear it," I said.

She hesitated at first with where to begin but with a little help, by repeating after me line-by-line, she could play the entire chorus within minutes.  A big grin flashed across her face as she began to connect what she was playing to what she knew in her head.

This is meeting a student at his/her level.  This is connecting musical study with their everyday music.  This is their familiar music.

I think sometimes I get so caught up in "teaching from the book" that I forget to draw connections to music of the everyday.  Ask your students what kind of music they listen to and you'll hear everything from "Lady Gaga" and "Justin Bieber" to "Aerosmith" and "Chicago" to "country."  Everyone comes from a different background and it is so important to teach the relevancy of music.  Music is all around us in all styles and forms.  Draw connections.  Give relevant examples.  Don't just teach songs from a book.  Teach music.

Missed Opportunities

"Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss." - F. Scott Fitzgerald Most of the time, I'm an advocate for taking chances, trying new things, and taking advantage of any good opportunity that comes my way.  I'm still early in my career and for the most part, any experience is good experience.

But sometimes, you have to say "no" to good great opportunities in favor of something else.

Last year, I had the chance to visit a private prep school in the area.  They have beautiful facilities and an excellent fine arts program.  Walking through the halls of their new music building, I overheard an open chamber music jury (playing Beethoven's Piano Trio, Op. 1, No. 3.  Hello.), a group lesson for string players, a theory class, and a few students rehearsing on their own in the practice rooms.  I would love the opportunity to teach here , I thought to myself.  I met one of the coordinators of the music program that day and she quickly put me in touch with the director.  He had my resume and I was hopeful that a part-time position would open up within a few months.

A year later, I received an email from the program director with these words: "We are anticipating some staffing needs for the next academic year and beyond..."  This was a GREAT opportunity - one I had been waiting for for a year now - but the timing was all wrong.  I had just committed to a PhD program at Eastman and was within two weeks of giving notice to my employers.  My heart sunk.  Why couldn't this have happened last year?  Of course, I am so, so excited about the work I will be doing at Eastman next year but I hated having to turn this down.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's said, "Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss."  Yes.  Reading these words made me rethink things.  Opportunities are turning points.  They define the path we take.  We say "yes" to some and "no" to others.  Instead of lamenting the "no's" we should feel like our "yes's" are clearer and more defined because of it.  Saying "no" to great opportunities gives us clarity for the things to which we've already said "yes."

What have you said "yes" to lately?

Music & Worship Arts Week

Last month, Steve and I flew down south for a week of music, inspiration, good company, good food, and a little R&R at Music & Worship Arts Week held at Lake Junaluska in NC. 

Music & Worship Arts Week is a time for church music directors, organists/keyboardists, choir members, instrumentalists, and more to bring their families and come together for daily worship, music-making, and inspiration.  I haven't been to Music Week in a few years and it was great to be back.

The days began with worship and then everyone split off into morning rehearsals (adult choir, chamber choir, young adult, youth, children, handbells, drama, instrumental, etc.).  Having participated in the Adult Choir and in the Chamber Choir in years past, I floated around this year so I could observe a different rehearsal each day. 

Everyone has a chance to go home for lunch before dividing up once more for afternoon activities: reading sessions, seminars, rehearsals, or a little R&R on the wide porches with rows of rocking chairs overlooking the lake.  After a break for dinner, there are concerts and other events in the evening.

There were so many offerings this year it was hard to get to everything!  I attended a reading session or seminar in every time slot all week long so I could soak up as much as possible. 

Reading sessions are a great way to hear new music and learn about emerging composers and we spent our late afternoons/evenings reviewing and sharing everything we had seen and heard during the day.  It was wonderful having a piano in the house where we were staying!

Favorite moments of the week? 

Learning about hymn harmonization in a seminar with Dean McIntyre, observing Mark Miller in rehearsal, learning a few new early childhood music activities, and soaking up this beautiful view every night with wonderful friends.

For more information on Music & Worship Arts Week, visit their website.