More about winning and losing

Why is it that the ones who give music up are the ones I dwell on? There have been many who have gone on to play through high school and have become lifelong amateur musicians, and isn't this really the goal? I like to think so. I don't really care if my students end up in a major symphony orchestra or with a big record deal. What I really hope for each one of them is that they can find fun, solace, friendship, inspiration and community through music throughout their whole lives. And I recognize also, especially in light of recent research, that the act of studying a musical instrument engages the brain in a unique way, and is, thus, valuable no matter what the skill level achieved is.

This is why it was with a real mix of emotions that I heard the news from one sixth grade beginning violinist that he was going to have to drop Orchestra to take a Study Skills class. My first thought, if I am honest, was that things were going to get easier for me, and the orchestra would sound better. But following that thought, pretty closely on its heels, was a feeling of regret. This child had never picked up an instrument before this year. He had no musical training whatsoever, and he had plowed into a situation where he was surrounded by kids who had been studying with me in music classes since the third grade. He knew he was over his head, and we made arrangements to have small lessons after school a couple days a week. Each time we did this, his skill level jumped up a degree, and by the beginning of December, he was actually able to play along on some of the music, and not sound terrible. I knew he was struggling in his other classes, and he struggled in mine, but with the extra help, and support from his parents, it looked like music might be something he could really succeed at with time. I was also mindful of the fact that the work we did in his lessons was developing his brain in new, untapped ways.

I know that he really needs the study time to get his other subjects in hand, but I'm wondering if he might want to keep working on violin toward the day when he can rejoin the orchestra with new skills. I think I will see if he wants to do that. And thank you for reading my musings which help me to think through things!