In our choral world, the possibility to thrive seems to grow more fraught every year. I don’t need to list the reasons why: anyone paying attention to the current states of education, music, and society knows why.
Which is why we need the camaraderie that we get from a few days together in a workshop. The chance to share our stories, lift each other up, and recharge for the start of the school year. The universal boost I see from the teachers happens as much between sessions as during them.
Music teachers are so often isolated: the only ones in their building, sometimes alone in their district. We rely on workshops and conferences to compare notes and confide in friends.
Thank you, fellow MSVMA members, for your generosity of time and spirit. It is only as part of that statewide team that we survive at all.
And those who missed it – trust me, you will build your capacity to thrive with every day spent with your colleagues. Let’s laugh together, cry together, and raise each other up.