I wasn’t sure I would make it through the entire hour. There were only five students in the class, but they were screaming and running in opposite directions.
My first class teaching the Music Makers after-school curriculum last year was nothing short of a disaster. I used to have to practice my breathing before class began. I don’t remember being that nervous since my first cello performances.
I must have done something right, however, because we ended up having a great 8-week session and final performance, and the kids enjoyed themselves. I was invited back to teach this year.
The Shift
Something happened over the summer. I think I just decided that I was going to have fun. Whatever it was, this year has been the complete opposite. I still have moments where the eight kids run in different directions, but that is only when I am asking them to move to the music – not to sit quietly in their seats. For the most part, we exchange lively dialogue about the meaning of melody and beat vs. rhythm.
Our final performance is going to include choreography as well as singing. I am having fun. That makes all the difference.
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
