I've often heard it said that education is wasted on the young. Of course that's not true, but there is something to be said for some adult stretching and learning. My intelligent Mama skipped out of high school to get married and then have me. She waited a few decades and decided to get her GED. Without hardly trying, she practically aced the SAT then proceeded to get almost perfect grades as she pursued a nursing degree. She has never worked as a nurse, except to give sage advice and put doctors to the drill when they examine Daddy or her.
When I was in sixth grade, my parents sacrificially gave me piano lessons. I took to it easily and loved dreamily playing when it suited my fancy. Scales and arpeggios, not so much. Then in high school I began playing the flute, practicing a lot more because I felt the challenge and I loved the voice of it floating in the air. But if I could go back in time, how I wish I had really worked on it and practiced like I should have. I was too busy playing basketball and being social to put my shoulder to it. When you are young, there are so many things pulling and distracting you, and I've always had a penchant for having too many interests to narrow it down to just a few.
I always figured that once my kids were grown, I'd go back to college, maybe get an interior design degree or something. As it turns out, I've got too much else going on to stop and do that. And I don't want to stop. I have painted, toiled and cleaned about a universe's worth of projects; my hands are gnarly, knotty and leaning out from their origins. Good, working hands that God blessed me with. It's a whole lot more difficult to do intricate passages on the flute now, with all that cartilage and beef in the way. I have to work harder, longer, and in a more focused fashion than when I was youngish. It's frustrating. Now that I actually practice and experience angst when I can't, everything's wanting to rust. So I bump it off and muster through. The music in our wind ensemble is way out there, harder than anything I've ever played. Go figure.
I am covered up with work and projects right now, which leads to a lot of whining to my husband about what my priorities should be. He had the gall to actually say, "Why don't you get out of the wind ensemble?" After I threatened to dock him his supper, he laughed about his little joke. Because he knows how special that music and group have become to me. I get to meet up with a bunch of musicians and have a jam session at least once a week. We complain about how hard the music is and gripe about how difficult it is to find time to practice and still have a day job. But when the music starts and you find that sweet spot, even if it's a very small sweet spot, there is nothing in the world like the combination of people and beautiful sound to make time stand still.
On Saturday, April 9, Villa Rica has its annual Art Fest. It's from 10:00-5:00 that day at the Mill Amphitheatre. The Carroll Community Wind Ensemble will be playing a full concert at 1:00. That gives you time to peruse and buy art, eat your lunch, then sit down on the grass and hear gorgeous music. I've never played with such wonderful musicians and am privileged to just hang out, much less play with them.
I'll try not to play too loudly...
No comments:
Post a Comment