Practice Rooms and Planes

So, this afternoon, I went with my Aunt to an event at a local music center - where children and adults alike can go for individual lessons, to play in ensembles, and sometimes to perform! Today was an event where the local jazz group played while a local painter got the chance to display some of his work around the music center. We were mostly there in an organizational and helping capacity, but I did get to wander around the center just a bit.

I kept being reminded of the music building at Mills - without a doubt, one of the prettiest buildings on an already stunning campus. But that building was the kind of pretty that comes with elegance, some grandeur - a big auditorium with paintings all around, curvy railings and beautiful seats, and the entryway had a vaulted ceiling and beautiful stone floors. An elegant building. One semester, I had a class there, which in addition to the coursework meant that I got the chance to walk through that building.

In addition to the grand auditorium, this building has hallways and hallways snaking around filled with small practice rooms. I remember practice rooms from way back to my days in Meadville, at the Allegheny College Music Festival - back when I played the saxophone. And the idea of practice rooms has always made me -- well, happy. A room whose only purpose is to provide a space just for you- a place designed for you to go and work to get better at something. Where it's okay to sound terrible, because if you didn't, you wouldn't need to practice. You can go in there alone, no need for a lesson, and just play, or sing, or compose. It's the office of the musician, I suppose. And for some reason, even though everyone tells us it's okay not to be good at things when you first try them, it seems like music is one situation when practicing is simply an obvious (and important) thing to do. Maybe it's because when we talk about other fields like math or theater, we don't say 'practice' - we say 'homework' or 'rehearsal'. I don't know if this idea of it being okay to need practice means anything to anyone else, but to me, it always has been important and practice rooms are a representation of it, and I think they are fantastic because of that.

In addition, as I was watching a timid flute player attempt a solo during the jazz performance tonight, I remembered my own forays into improvisational solos back in high school and I remember when it was time to play that I was overcome with such nervousness --- and you know what I was nervous about? That if I played, I might be heard. I was PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT and worried I was going to be heard. I still frequently feel that way when I sing. How does that make any sense???

Oh, well. We're all a little crazy, aren't we?

Speaking of crazy, I will be flying again this week. To several states around the country. I have tests to run on the wifi while I'm on my planes and work to do for my internship once those tests are over - and in between, I get to travel. Traveling by myself - travel for business, as they say, except where the business is when you are on the plane, not when you get there. It'll be an experience, for sure.