In a time when we have been limited to who we see and speak with in-person, I know I am not alone in how much I’ve come to embrace podcasts. Even more than before, I appreciate being a fly on the wall for these conversations between experts, thoughtful discussions between friends and humorous anecdotes that inject some much needed laughter into our lives. On the penultimate episode of one of my must-listens, the hosts explained their practice of honoring commemorations instead of recognizing celebrations. In their words:
“There are so few things in life that involve pure celebration and commemorating is something a little bit deeper, right? It’s not just saying, ‘Aren’t we so excited this happened?’ We’re saying that things worth having almost always contain this bittersweet mix of celebration and grief.” (The Nuanced Life from Pantsuit Politics, December 9, 2020 )
There are plenty of think-pieces on mindset from the past 12 months, but it is important to intentionally think about what we can celebrate in the midst of struggle and change. This is not to minimize trouble or project toxic positivity, but rather hold both celebration and grief in the same space.
So we ask, then, what are you commemorating from your professional life this past year? Amidst major changes and shifts in your teaching practice, what do you recognize as being positives? What do you hope to take with you as we slowly make our way toward a more familiar classroom or school situation? Music educators are commemorating stronger relationships with students, the chance to work more intentionally on instrument-specific technique and bringing in new elements to a performance classroom like composition, listening skills and best-practices in recording. Take the time to commemorate those pieces that come with a mix of bittersweetness and celebration.
There is much to commemorate in the Illinois Music Education Association as well. We are grateful for the agility that allows us to take what could have been full-out cancellations and instead create valuable opportunities for students and teachers in Illinois.
The District Festivals and All-State Programs are in-person musical experiences that just can’t be replicated in a virtual space. We can recognize the sadness of missing these events while also asking, “What can ILMEA provide instead that will be meaningful for student musicians?” The masterclasses presented by outstanding clinicians from across the country skyrocketed past our expectations for these events and the immediate feedback from the Fall festival was asking how we could keep events like this going in the future. Students were inspired and motivated to keep practicing on their own and educators took away tools, tips and ideas to bring to their own teaching. We can commemorate the success of these events by looking forward to being in-person for District Festivals as soon as safely can do so but also recognizing the huge success of this pivot.
We will sorely miss the chance to gather together at the Illinois Music Education Conference in January. It is such an important time for personal and professional renewal. But with the launch of the 2021 ILMEA Webinar Series, the doors are open for more music educators than ever before to join in these professional development events. There are numerous educators who aren’t granted professional days or may not be able to travel to Peoria in a typical year, but will now be able to take advantage of webinars to strengthen their pedagogy and teaching methods.
Music educators, music students and ILMEA should take the time to commemorate our adaptability and ability to change in order to move forward. These qualities are never easy to develop and in fact it can be the easier choice to dig in our heels and dwell on the way things were. But in situations that have asked us to engage in self-examination and change, we have proven to ourselves that we can pivot and embrace what we learn and how we grow.