Pity it happens at the end.
One of the great tragedies of school ensembles is that they end just when the group locks. My ensemble learned new notes and basic choreography in mere minutes today – things that would have taken much more time in September.
They lock because they have been practicing daily. They lock because they know each other. They lock because so many things that required active thinking 9 months ago are done automatically now.
Sadly, even the students not graduating will not be in this position when the next ensemble starts. Even if it started tomorrow, there would be a lot of learning to get the group up to speed on each other’s musical strengths and weaknesses. That learning is critical to an ensemble locking. Add to that the standard school year summer break, and you’ll be in a markedly different place from June, come September.
Of course, this is the deal – and not just in ensembles. Just when you get into the swing of any work challenge, something will change – the venue, the collaborators, the job description – to require you to grow and learn again. This isn’t a tragedy, it’s the human experience to always be starting over.
I embrace this change in my life, but I still let myself occasionally lament the end of things that are just starting to go so well.