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Enjoy our virtual staff journal
Greetings from the BMC Central Team
We hope that you are comfortably "hunkered" down and staying healthy. We dearly wish that we were seeing you in person as you come to our campus for a lesson or rehearsal today -- and that we were all getting ready for a few concerts this weekend and next...but for now...
Here is a link to our Peter and the Wolf concert for area school children earlier this month. We're grateful to Jon Potter and the Latchis Theatre, BCTV for making the recording, and to Kelly Fletcher for this and other wonderful photos. This performance, part of the BMC Music in the Schools program, featured narrator James Gelter as well as an orchestra of fine players from the region, all conducted by Zon Eastes.
A quick update: BMC staffers Carol, Gay, Solveig, Raquel, Meg and Mary are working remotely and meeting daily to keep things going. Faculty have begun the transition to teaching online -- some are already in full "swing", others are working to make the move as well. We're all doing our best to keep the BMC sharing and making music together - step by step, note by note.
As we planned this first message to you from our team, we all agreed to contribute to a staff journal while working remotely - with an entry from each of us as a way of sharing something that brings us joy or comfort or laughter as we do our part to stay physically separate.
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From Carol
 C
arol
is spending time on memory lane.
"Here I am at age 5 - practicing. I grew up in a family of educators and scientists. Music always had a place in the house - there were songs on long car rides, lessons, choir, my sister played recorder and flute, my brother played violin (at least briefly) and sang. There were dance classes, trips to orchestra concerts, musicals in school. As important as music was, I know my parents never intended, or expected, that it would become a livelihood. It was meant to be food for the soul and a way to connect with others. I lost interest in practicing (an understatement that many parents who have ever had a child in music lessons can appreciate) and drifted away from the classical music roots I started with.
I returned years later - wiser, somewhat more patient with practicing - and now I make my living combining music and education. Who knew?!"
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Solveig
shares
this adorable video
of her 11-year-old daughter, Lotte, performing "The Dragonettes are Coming," which is a piece she recreated from memory and she heard from an album called
Wings of Fire: Music of the Dragonets of Destiny.
As Solveig explains, "This is music from a book series that is very popular. Lotte p
ut this together for us quickly because she can't remember how to play "Smooth Sailing" without her music at the moment, which is at the other house!"
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From Raquel
Raquel
says using technology to stay in touch with her students, like Mila, shown here, "brings so much joy. I've never thought how easy it is to call someone and have a video lesson. You can use FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom meetings -- it is so easy!
"We all feel part of a bigger community.I love listening to how my students make progress on their piano pieces, just like we do every week, but it means so much more now that we all need to be apart from each other." She adds, "I feel it is helpful to continue with our routines as much as possible as we enjoy our time together with our families."
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Gay
decided to take advantage of the recent spring snowfall, and felt she needed company during all this social distancing. (Unfortunately, her two frozen friends melted away in a few hours...)
As she explains, "I'm practicing snow-cial distancing, but I miss you all so much! Stay healthy and I hope to see you soon."
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From Meg
Meg
gets inspiration from thisTed talk with Eric Whitacre, who is conducting his virtual choir of thousands of voices from 58 countries.
"His presentation speaks to me about the power we have for building community through music even if we're far apart. The sound of so many singers from across the globe harmonizing together gives me hope, a reminder that there is good in the world if we just listen for it."
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 From Mary
Mary
has been taking long walks each day -- so grateful to be in our beautiful setting. "My goal is to photograph this favorite stream each day, noting the changes as spring does its glorious work. I, too, have been exploring various online tools to connect with colleagues and family -- with often hilarious and always bittersweet results.
Amazed by the many examples of exquisite, poignant shared music making from around the globe, I leave you for today with a favorite from brave, beautiful Italy."
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