Bang on a can (like a hamster)

Date: 03/16/13

Orchestra: Chamber

Attendance: good

Repertoire rehearsed: everything!

Little things I noticed: well, because students arrived shortly after I did (yay!), I didn't get to explore much today. It's a good thing :)

Note:

It's my favorite kind of day, when I get to bang on a trash can.

I also appreciate goofy rehearsals like this one we had, so long as we get things done, and I we did! Remember, we "play" music (that is, we play "with" it). We don't "scrutinize" it (not on stage, anyway).

So we basically ran through all of the pieces in preparation for next week's concert, which we decided that I'll join in with my djembe. This is going to be fun. But we also fixed a couple of things, and improved great many things!

I feel sorry that some have to miss this concert. Everyone worked very hard for this, and to have to miss the chance to present what you've been working on so hard for the last three months is unfortunate. I'm really sorry.

Those of you who will be there, I want you to know that just because some of your colleagues will not be there, that doesn't all of a sudden make you "unprepared". Each and every single one of you is ready for this. I know. You don't have to do anything differently. Just get up there, smile, and "play"!

Those of you, who were there at our very first concert (since I started, that is) three years ago, or those of you who've seen us then, know that there were only six of us at the time. But we still rocked. We will have nine people for this concert. That is 50% MORE than what we used to have. It's gonna be just fine.

The subject of "hamster" came up as we were packing up at the end of the rehearsal. So I want to end this entry with this metaphor (which reveals my teaching philosophy) - Students are like hamsters. They are curious beings, and sometimes they need a hand. But if the hand comes from above them, they will be frightened by it. They will feel oppressed and inhibited, and will most likely end up hiding somewhere underneath a darker, and a smaller place. But if you were to lay your hand out softly, underneath their feet, only slightly higher than where their feet currently stand on, they will gladly, at their own initiative, climb up onto the hand. And so if the teacher's hand always lay beneath the students feet, they will continue to be curious of what is sill above them. Without a hand casting shadow over them, they can see the boundless sky and they will know that there is nothing blocking them to get up there. They just have to find the right hands that they can use as stepping stones, and hands that will not all of a sudden flip over. So they will continue to get out there and explore.