September always feels like New Year’s to me. I take an annual two week break end of August to give my students time to settle into their school schedules, but more importantly, to allow my brain to empty out and my spirit to refresh and re-energize.
After teaching all these many years, it is so very easy to turn on the auto button, choosing the same teaching tools that come to mind without much thinking. During these two weeks I try to review material I logged onto years ago, but pushed back into the far corners of my mind. I seek out new research and innovative approaches to the variety of challenges faced by my students, learning how to balance the use of rapidly changing technology with the age old practice of listening and watching.
Each fall I enjoy connecting with every student, whether new or returning, bringing a sense of openness to our lessons, discussing goals and strategies, relaxing into a routine.
My own singing takes on a vitality that gets lost in the sameness of my everyday warms ups. Rummaging through my file cabinets, I discover music I sang long ago and revisit it with a more mature voice and hopefully, a more wise interpretation. The struggle is to not succumb to the grooves in the well-worn path I have trod in the past, but continue to forge a new, revitalized road.
I treasure this time away from my “desk”, the piano, laying aside the teacher part of me, to breathe in vibrant thoughts and let out old tired ideas.
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