Back in the day, when my tiny (actually pretty large) feet trodded through the halls of my High School, I was determined to make something called PMEA. Now, PMEA was truly special because, if you made the regular PMEA concert, you would have the opportunity to move on to district and then regions and then states. The music was outstanding. The students surrounding me were always spectacular. There was just a lot of whimsy in the air in every rehearsal and every tryout room and every session where multiple school districts came together and you-for a tiny moment, saw a little glimpse into the world outside your own High School. In fact, I would argue that music was my equivalent of whimsy throughout all of elementary, middle and high school.

Well today, I had the privelege of watching my husband's sister (now in tenth grade) attend her first PMEA District Orchestra Concert. And sure the high schoolers looked unbelievably young. And sure it felt strange to walk back into the walls of my High School I had attended (precisely nine years ago.) However, when we took our seats and the conductor was introduced, I had a tiny feeling that he was going to create an outstanding moment of whimsy. And I was right. Sometimes-you can just tell when there is an abundant amount of passion behind what someone is trying to accomplish. 

The conductor reminded me (so much) of my former flute teacher. She was and continues to be one of my greatest inspirations. I think of her often (actually) as I teach my third graders throughout the day. She just had this way of creating whimsy and a focused intent throughout every lesson, every melody and every song.

Truly, our students are the instruments and together, we create songs every day. And a song without feeling is similar to words without a story.

Something I have always admired is when a teacher can take something that seems so abstract and get you to play the heart of the piece because he or she has the ability to not only tell the story but to get you to feel that story. This particular conductor said something so profound that I knew I would be including it in my accounts of whimsy. "The beauty about working with these kids was they were so intuitive. My style is such that I ask many questions and give them a little  background information. We play a few parts and then I have them fill in the story in based on what they hear and what they feel.  I asked one question and got 50 or 60 different responses to just a single moment within the music. What I love about music is that whatever their answer was-was the correct answer." The students in this Festival had been asked to analyze the story of Aaron Copland's Piece "Letters to Home." And what a beautiful story he encouraged them to create.

Having played and listened to a lot of musical groups. I can honestly say that every student on that stage felt the story when they played it. When words become a story, those words contain meaning and heart and abundant whimsy. 

And before the concert closed, as I remembered very vividly sitting on that stage and being so proud of it all-many years ago, the conductor left the audience with a moment of thanks. He said, "Thank you to the parents who decided one day that you should let your child play an instrument. You made the best decision. The remarkable thing of it is that the majority of the students sitting on this stage won't actually go on to major in music. But they will have the gift of music that they can enjoy and love and learn and grow and pass on-for the rest of their lives. And this is what is truly powerful." For all of us who attended these Festivals and sometimes find it difficult to play our instruments consistently, you can bet that the lessons we learned-we have and will continue to carry within our hearts forever. If anything, we take with us the importance of music and sharing our stories.

A huge thank you to my former music teachers who always inspired us to see beyond the notes on the page and to feel every story. For every day you write your own music, you should be doing so with the intent of sharing not just the words but the story beyond the words. Whimsy in heart, in mind and in feeling.