For my students, it’s coming close to that time – time to take a close look at how far we have come over the school year. This year is a bit different. This is the first time that the majority of my students are not woodwind players. In addition to two saxophone/flute students, two play string instruments and one is a composer.
The two string players are learning improvisation and modern functional harmony. They are both excellent players and are able to grasp concepts and move forward very quickly. I wouldn’t hesitate to play on stage with either one of these young musicians. Top notch, for sure.
The young composer I work with is a solid instrumentalist on Trombone as well as on Saxophone. In fact, she qualified for All District Orchestra on Trombone this year. She has a great mind for the process and detail involved in creating a musical work from concept to final orchestration.
The two saxophone students each won first chair positions in All State bands this year. One in the Middle School Wind Ensemble, and the other in the High School Jazz Band. The High School Senior also auditioned for and was accepted into the Miles Davis Jazz Program at UNC – Greensboro.
In the next few lessons each student and I will take a critical look back through this school year, notice where we started and what the stated goals were at that time. We’ll look for evidence of progress toward these goals. We’ll celebrate the successes. We’ll also take note of where we have fallen short, dig into why, and form new plans for achieving these old goals (if these goals are still valid).
Perhaps the most important part of this review is the creation of new goals. It is a time for dreaming, for thinking big. We have a summer session coming that is typically interrupted with family vacations, summer camps, social activity. However, without the daily school commitment, there is lots of time for deep thought, practice and performance of art. I look forward to learning what each of these students dreams of doing, helping them form plans to make it happen, and celebrating their continued success.