Can serious musicians have fun, too? I've seen some evidence lately that says they can!
Watch our newest orchestra members conquer a new piece each week. See the pride on their faces and the eagerness with which they request their "checkups". These kids are learning something about overcoming obstacles through focused effort, but they are also enjoying their own mastery, as well as the rewards of relationship that come with it.
Sit in on a lively discussion during intermediate orchestra. What does this music mean? How does the meaning change if we tinker with the time signature, or the key signature? How do we make choices about soloists, tempos, and dynamics? For young people beginning to master their world, these questions are related to power, and provide clues about the human world of meaning and emotion.
After the intermediates leave, advanced players stay on for some serious practice that erupts in laughter at frequent intervals. The joy of working with people who share your language is palpable. Working our way into the head of the composer, trying to deduce the skill levels of the musicians for whom the piece is written, and working closely together in this most collaborative of efforts is energizing, even at the end of a very long day.
And then there is cellobop musician Gideon Freudmann. He came out to the Sandy Library for First Friday, to play an intimate concert mixture of original, classical, and pop tunes. His electric cello worked so tightly with his loop machine that we were constantly guessing at the "how" of his music, but there was no doubt about the "why". He was just having too much fun!
