I recently presented two professional development workshops in Las Vegas for music teachers in Clark County Schools. The presentations were designed for elementary, junior high, and high school teachers in the district.
At a time when the world has shifted dramatically and people everywhere are looking for new ways to reach out, interact, and share their inner spirit with the world, the creative concepts of Arts Awareness provide a foundation for learning that can transform your life.
I had the privilege of conducting the Arizona All-State Band last month. The experience was extraordinary. One hundred students from schools throughout the state participated after going through several steps to qualify.
Artists work in a flexible, fluid environment. It is an internal setting that is vulnerable to the process of openness and trust. When you begin a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or performance, there is potential for that artistic expression to develop into something.
The program notes for a recent concert called to mind the influence of other people on our personal views. We’re all influenced by others in some way. When we experience the values of others, their beliefs and attitudes mingle with our own; and over time a new vision is created even if we’re not fully aware of it.
I recently attended the final concert performed by the 2015 Arizona Musicfest Orchestra in Scottsdale, Arizona. One of the works on the concert—the Glagolitic Mass by Leos Janáček—was of particular interest to me. Janáček’s music is deeply influenced and inspired by Moravian and other Slavic folk music.
Everywhere you go in the Southwest, you’re surrounded by the remarkable beauty of nature. There is an opportunity every day to explore and experience the outdoors and at the same time gain a deep understanding of the artistic processes of all kinds of Native American artists.
Different art forms are often placed in a position to compete with one another. One art form is better than another? Surely that isn’t the case.
Highly creative artists do their work in a world of unpredictability. They don’t force a clear picture of the end result. While they may set restrictions and principles, they don’t create such strong boundaries that limit flow or their ability to move in new, more inspired directions. They trust themselves and the artistic process.
As I moved from room to room among the hundreds of music teachers at a recent Music Educators Conference in Arizona, I thought about the tremendous passion and commitment that brought all of these people to this profession—teaching music for a living.