I've been waiting for this opportunity for a VERY long time. I may or may not have jumped on our NAfME collegiate chapter president much too early than should be acceptable to find out arrangements on get down to St. George for this weekend.
These kind of events are fantastic. They're a complete wonderland for nerdy music people like me. In high school, I was lucky enough to go to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention two years in a row as an All State Choir member. I felt like Harry Potter stepping into the wizarding world for the first time. Never did I realize the vast amount of things there were to learn, and the masses of music people there were to meet- all of whom shared the same exact interest that I had.
Not to mention the colossal hall of the exhibit booths. That surely had to be the the Diagon Alley of the music education world, I thought. Imagine every obscure thing that could maybe connect to music or education in any way, and then imagine it on display. In one massive room. That I was somehow lucky enough to stroll through. Choir robes, sheet music, braces protectors (for horn players!), trip coordinators, colleges, mariachi uniforms, fundraising companies, self-transcribing pianos, recording studios, reeds, color guard flags, caterers... you name it. It was there. There was even this tour bus:
In all honesty, though, the opportunities to be in those All State Choirs provided just about the most rewarding experiences and great memories I've ever had... and not just because they gave us tons of food money and boarded us a hotel in my favorite Texas city. I was able to learn so much from just a few days rehearsal and really be reminded of why music is important. It has the ability to connect so many people from incredibly varying backgrounds. It heals. It moves us. It's hugely complex, and yet astonishingly simple. The entire experience was beautifully inspiring to me.
And besides- it was a just a blast! I met so many wonderful people. And like I said, we made a ton of memories.
Despite being excited to be in rehearsal with my peers, I was fascinated by the lists of classes that were to be held for the actual attendees- who knew that someone could put on entire lecture on sight singing? It amazed and intrigued me, and my strange Hermione-esque 16 year old self was somewhat jealous that I had to be stuck in rehearsal all day when there was this whole other universe to be discovered beneath the seeminlgy little music knowledge I had. My desire to learn and grow in this world was fueled so strongly from simply by being at TMEA. I feel like my opportunity to even be there at those two conferences were big turning points in my decision to pursue music education.
And now here I am, proudly on my way to becoming a music educator and lucky enough to go to as many sight singing classes as my heart desires. I've come a long way, and I still have a very long way to go. If my experience at UMEA this weekend is even a fraction of the incredible experience I was blessed with at TMEA, I will have such an unforgettable landmark on my path of music education!
[Bottom line, I'm pumped. Bring it!]
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