Supplication/application/completion

I have had many great experiences with applying what I have learned about Music and theater especially.

One specific is happening right now. I was asked to help out with a musical at my old high school. The Sound of Music is starting to get under way right now. I go to rehearsals and help out with music, with coaching, with dancing etc. It has been very good to implement what I've learned and stocked up in my bank. Sometimes I think the information we receive is immediately stuck into a place that makes those things stale right away. I believe that application of new information is the best way to keep that information fresh and exciting.

Working with shows like this one (this is not my first time doing this) let's me learn things on my own, but still with others. I am able to be a leader and learn with the students I'm working with. I think this is the best way to learn: guiding others and realizing that you are the one being guided by those that you are guiding.

This type of learning is very foreboding to many, however. It takes a lot of giving up of one's self. It is impossible to learn from those "below" you if you are always worried about demanding respect and repose when people relate to you. It takes a little letting go of the situation; which is VERY difficult, especially for a teacher.

Practice room etiquette aiding academia

I have taken private instruction with a musical instrument ever since I was a wee one: around 6 years old. Those 13 years have not only helped me be a better musician, but also a better student in the classroom.

I have learned many good habits like how to retain a new piece of information for extended amounts of time. I learned how to push myself to study the instrument in depth. Not only that, but I learned the importance of working with new information alone. It is very rare that you'll have a person with you every waking moment of your practice time telling you what to do and how to do it. There is a lot of self discovery in the practice room.

I not only learned how to be self-efficient, but I learned how to relate to other people in a learning environment. In music there is a lot of ensemble play, and a musician must be good at working with others. I learned how to communicate with other students both musically and with my words. It's helped with my social skills as well.

Music directly relates and helps students in general. I believe that it is a crucial part of a child's education. As it is, music education is in jeopardy in many schools across the country. We need to do our part as educators to see that this does not evaporate from the system and be lost: it would mean a decrease of performance in other areas-not just music.

Church decisions

I have regularly attended church for my whole life. So when college came around and I had to make decisions about where and if I was going to attend church for myself, I was faced with a dilemma: sleeping in was the most luring option compared to the nearest local churches.

But, it wasn't long into the semester when I got a call from some friends wondering if I would play piano for their church. I agreed and went the next week. And I went the week after that, and the week after that. And pretty soon I was a regular. The church welcomed me in and showed me how crucial it is to have a church family.

It was hard for me to say goodbye. After year of attending North Goshen Mennonite Church, I had to leave so I could participate in Parables: A worship group. This group goes around to different churches in the area and a few hours away to aid in a church's worship experience. In many ways this is a great thing: I can be an active part of the service and explore different churches. The only downfall is that I am never at any church long enough to feel rooted and a part of it.

I guess that is what the group is for: to help each other find a place to belong and have a core to come back to in faith.

Music and the Brain

The other night I stayed up late. I was not doing homework. I was not watching a movie. I was not hanging out with friends. I was watching videos about advances in music therapy and music relating to cognitive development online. I was enthralled by all of the intricate studies that are being done in order to delve into the depths of the brain to find the connections with sound and the greater world.

It was so refreshing to learn about something I knew absolutely nothing about. It's been awhile since I was able to listen to a lecture and be thoroughly engaged throughout. I learned about the theories about sound being the smallest increment of measure. I learned how music therapy works wonders in hospitals. I also learned throughout all this that there are countless other opportunities in the realm of music besides education.

I could definitely see myself as a music therapist so it is really good to learn more about it. I can't get that sort of information at school so I have to find it somewhere else. I can't wait to learn more about this area of music. I think that I could really enjoy it and maybe go on and study it for graduate school. I need to keep studying into music and theater both in order to find what I am most interested.

Recycling the 'un' recyclable

I am intrigued by creating. I enjoy finding new uses for things that were not made for that new use. One specific example of this is a bag I made from old plastic grocery bags. There were many plastic bags sitting around my house, so I figured I could use them to make a messenger bag to carry heavier things such as books and binders and such. I worked on it for days, taking hours at a time to weave and plan how this all would come together. I didn't have any sort of a pattern so everything I did came from guessing and supposing it would work. It turned out great and I got rid of many a plastic bag strewn about our house.

I prefer this type of recycling more so than just throwing it into the nearby can specified for plastics and cans. When I can create something tangible, something immediate, and something immediate; I receive more back. Its like the idea in education about immediate feedback: when a student can see the work he or she does right after it is accomplished, it is more effective.

I think this is the way we need to recycle. So many times we just dump our junk that is dubbed 'recyclable' to be shipped off who knows where, as responsible citizens of this world, we need to be conscious of the trash we are pumping out of our homes and act on it. We must conserve, reuse, and recycle; especially those things that are not accepted at the local 'recycling mart.'

In a lot of ways this correlates with education. As an educator, I need to know how to not only spit out information to students, but I must also know how to take information that is old and sometimes thought as useless and make it into something new: something even more workable than what it was before.

CSD: Celebrating service

During Goshen College's Celebrate Service Day I went to The Post downtown Goshen. The Post is an alternative 'hang out' spot for at risk teens. It has a gym, game room, weight room, etc for the kids to use.

I did not do any interacting with the teens because it was during the morning (come on now you should know this, its an education blog for Pete's sake) but I did a lot of needed cleaning in the building. This is the hardest type of service for me because there is little immediate satisfaction. You are doing something that, even though you know people will appreciate, there isn't the type of feedback that one needs to keep donating time. I'm talking about the kind of service that people recognize the work you've done and explicitly show immense thanks for that work. Things like cleaning and behind the scenes work often go unnoticed by those using the facilities.

But despite all these difficulties, I've learned that I need to find a way to make myself proud of what I've done. It is not easy to do, but when I serve people I pretend that I am the person I am helping. I pretend like it is me who is receiving this aid. This way I can think ahead - like what I need to do after I finish the task at hand, or what the workers (me) need. I am able to find a feeling of thankfulness for what I've accomplished. It is a sense of self worth and a good way to intrinsically motivate.