Music and Me
I'm new to the idea of blogging, but I would like people to have access to my general beliefs on music in various capacities. I will occasionally post my thoughts on different topics, but it will only be topics connected to music. If you would like to request a particular topic, you can comment on my page and I will consider any submissions. Otherwise, dealer's choice!
Music has made me who I am today. I was a very shy and average child. I was raised around music. I sang in church next to my mother. When I was old enough, I learned to play piano and later also played flute in the band at church. I was in my mother's voice studio until I graduated High School. I was in my school band starting in 6th grade until I graduated. I was in my school choir starting in 8th grade until I graduated High School. I was in my High school Show Choir. I competed in District and State Festivals. I auditioned for and was accepted in to OCDA Junior High Chorus, OCDA Women's Chorus, and OMEA Mixed-Chorus. I participated in Solo & Ensemble School Contest every year that I was able with either my flute or in vocal. Music has always been in my life. The music organizations I have been part of were like an extended family for me. I learned better social skills. I made life-long friends. I have countless amazing memories that I will continue to cherish the rest of my life. Music is vital to me. The connection music facilitates has no equal in my mind. When you sing in a choir and the harmonies are just right, or play in a band and everyone is in sync? That creates a bond that cannot be denied. That experience can change a person. That kind of experience is what solidified my decision to major in vocal music. My senior year of High School when I sang with the Oklahoma All-State Mixed-Chorus, I fully realized my connection to the human voice. It really is fascinating and yet so basic. I think the fact that it is such a raw instrument is one reason so many are afraid to sing in public. I know for me, I would say playing my flute in public was easier because I wasn't forced to look at the audience and if I messed up, I could blame the instrument somehow. I can't blame my voice for a mistake. It's pretty obvious it's the operator. On the other side of things, I could be sick and still play my flute or the piano. I can't get away with singing when I have laryngitis- trust me, I tried and it didn't end well. I do know that all my experience with music allowed me to come out of my shell. I had many opportunities to perform for an audience, so when I decided to teach it was easier to get in front of a classroom and essentially perform. I do often feel that when I'm teaching I am just being a performer. It's the ultimate performance. You are in front of people that expect perfect improvisation. Because they will throw you curve balls to see what you can do. This isn't something you can practice ahead of time and expect it to go exactly how you plan. Planning is still important, but knowing how to respond when you trip up or have something unexpected happen is also very important. Guess where I learned that skill? Recitals, concerts, auditions- they all played a part in preparing me for being in front of people as a professional. This isn't just a benefit for teachers. This is something that benefits anyone that ever plans to have a job interview. It's experience. Life experiences make us who we are. How we choose to react to those experiences shapes us. My parents thought piano lessons would be good for me. Let's pretend for a minute that we didn't know I turn into a music teacher. A child in middle school has taken piano lessons since 2nd grade and really hates practicing piano. Should the parents let her quit? The teacher could have been put out with me, but she got creative. She asked about me and how I was doing in school. I struggled with math. I know most people have heard that if you're good with music, then you must be great with math. That didn't pan out for me. My amazing above and beyond piano teacher took that information and figured out a way to help me. For example, I was working with factor trees at one time and my piano teacher asked me to pull out some of my homework during my lesson. She compared it by factoring beat values: a whole note = 2 half notes = 4 quarter notes = 8 eighth notes. It suddenly clicked. My piano teacher was using music to help me with my math homework. I greatly appreciated how my piano teacher always pushed me to be my best. I was the poster child for not practicing and making it up as I went. It was a bit of a joke with her and my family actually. I am so thankful that my parents kept me in piano lessons even when I asked to quit. I learned commitment. Music was obviously my thing once I was in High School, so even though I'm still not a fan of playing the piano myself (I would much rather let others play) I am thankful that I have basic skills to fall back on to continue playing. Those lessons were what made my college piano classes doable. I am not what I would call a skilled pianist, but I am able to get by. That would not have been possible without the years of lessons that my parents "made" me take. So thanks mom and dad! They always said I'd thank them later....... So in summary- music provided me opportunities to make some of the best friends/family I could ask for, gave me practice performing in front of people, and also was a wonderful supplement to my math education while being an extension of basic education in and of itself. I hope that made sense. Oh! I can't leave out my favorite philosophy I learned in college: HICC. Honesty. Integrity. Commitment. Compassion. This is what my UAFS Choir was all about.
To all my English and grammar police friends: I'm sorry.
I'm sorry if this seems a bit long. I will work on being more concise in the future.
Keep the music alive!
Moriah Schmidt
