It’s been a while since I last posted a blog. That just
means that I am busy living life and enjoying the little time I have left in
Guyana. It feels like just last week I returned to New Amsterdam and now I have
just a little over a month before I am back in Iowa. I have lots of plans for
this summer before I leave for my next adventure, but I plan to work at Mosaic
again this summer. I look forward to seeing those amazing clients and wonderful
staff again. I miss them quite a bit. If you want to see me during my short two-month
time period of being back in the States let me know. My schedule is getting
quite full!
In this blog I want to highlight one of my students. I have
talked to her and she has given me full permission to use her name, photo, and
story in the blog. Her name is Enyce and she is in my first year brass class.
As it stands now, she is the only female in the class (other than myself) and
she is the youngest student by about five years. She has struggled this semester
quite a bit, and I want to share a little bit about why she is so near and dear
to my heart this year.
For those of you who do not know, in order to play a brass
instrument your lips need to buzz into a mouthpiece in order to produce sound.
Many small children do something like this when making elephant sounds or when
trying to imitate a horse sound. I explain this in the first couple classes in
my brass class. We all get a good laugh at the sounds we make, and anyone who
happens to walk by the classroom gets confused and we laugh even harder. This
was the first hard thing for Enyce, she could not get her lips to work how she
wanted it to. I then tried a new method for buzz production that I learned from
a band director group on Facebook last year. I got small straws (in the States
I would go find a bunch of coffee straws) so that we could use them in class.
We would blow through the straws and then while we blow slowly pull out the
straw from our mouths, this helped to jumpstart our buzz. Seriously, if you don’t
believe me go try it for yourself! J
We then put the straw through the mouthpiece and did the same thing. It helped
quite a few people solidify their buzz on their mouthpiece. This helped her a
little, but it was still a struggle.
We started working on playing our first notes in the class.
After we got through the first couple pages on playing (through the first five
notes) I had a playing test. I wanted to use this playing test in order to
create a baseline of their playing for me to use in data collection for the
rest of they. Enyce was one of the last students to take the playing test. She
walked into the office and all of a sudden burst into tears. I must say, this
was a first for me. After we talked for a little bit and I explained that this
was only being used as a way for me to track her progress throughout the
semester and she was not getting a grade she had calmed down enough to at least
attempt to play though her test.
Enyce is a girl who does not want attention drawn to herself
in anyway, especially if it might be potentially embarrassing. We sat and
talked one day during open practice time and I told her that I recognized her
struggles in class, but I also knew she did not want me to call them out in
class. She agreed and thanked me for that. We made a deal that as long as she
came in to open practice times or early for class I would help her one on one
in an environment where she felt safe. She has been working very hard and has
improved greatly.
During that first playing test she played one note, but all
of the rhythms. She now has worked up to playing about six-ten notes. She
really has to think hard about each note, but she can get there. She can tell
you any fingering or rhythm we have worked on though. I believe once she
figures out the mechanics of her buzz more she could go flying on trumpet. She
has never given up on me and is always working hard. Her hard worked has paid
off in her playing ability and she was recognized for that as being named the
GLMA Female Student of the Month for the month of March.
I am so proud of Enyce and all of the work she has put in
this semester. I hope that she continues in the music academy, even if it is
not on trumpet. She is certainly one of those students who has taught me more
than I think I have taught her. She has challenged me to think about my
teaching and how I address different playing difficulties. Enyce is one of
those students who I will remember for many years down the road.
Enyce, I don’t know if you are reading this blog post or
not, but I want to thank you for being my student this year. You have taught me
a great deal about myself, and challenge me just like I have challenged you. I
hope and pray that you continue to develop your musical abilities, and I wish
you all the best in the coming years.
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Enyce
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| First day of Brass 1 back in January (Enyce is the one behind the boy in blue and white stripes) We started with four girls in the class, now we are down to Enyce. |
