Farewell

I'm afraid this is the last of my posts. I've enjoyed sharing with you all the evolution of selected instruments and I've especially enjoyed learning so much about it myself. As I’m sure you’ve all guessed, music has a very special place in my heart, and I hope to always be able to share a song or some knowledge on the subject, which is why I hope to be a music teacher. In an effort to pursue this dream I’ve had to make some tough decisions and face some hard truths these past few months. I’ve learned a lot though, and I thought I might share some of it with all of you. First, let me give a bit more of an explanation.

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind, flight to the imagination,
and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
-Plato

The topic of my blog was inspired by my love of music and to be honest, I figured I might as well choose a topic that would benefit me in my chosen field of study. See, I had a plan. Study music at Windsor so that I wouldn’t accumulate much debt with residence fees, and then get my teaching degree and pray that my speaking French would help get me a job. However, as we all know, plans don’t always go so smoothly. As it turns out, as much as I don’t want to leave home, and as much as I’m afraid to join the big leagues in a bigger program elsewhere. Bigger program means bigger talent and more criticism. This brings me to the first two thing I’ve learned.

Firstly, it’s hard to accept criticism, especially when you’ve already worked so hard at something, like the way you play an instrument, and it’s even harder the criticism is handed out harshly, but in the real world this is most often the case. Everyone hopes to be given constructive criticism, but in reality we have to be ready to accept the harshest kind, especially when pursuing the arts. Nevertheless, one thing I’ve learned is that even though it’s harsh doesn’t mean it’s false.

Secondly, I’ve learned something quite funny. As it turns out, real estate agents have got it completely wrong. They’re always rambling “location, location, location”, but what really matters is “education, education, education”. I was (and still am) extremely leery to leave home, but when it comes down to it, if I’m paying for any education, I’m going to pay for the best education in my reach. In my case, after a lot of research and thinking, I’ve realized that no matter the cost and no matter what my family prefers, in order to get the best education I’ve had to accept that Windsor might not be such a wise choice.

This leads me to my third and last lesson. I’ve learned that support will not always be found where you might think it should be, like with your parents, for example. Sometimes people need to sort out their own feelings before they can consider yours. For this reason, I find it helpful to not expect support from people, even from family, but instead to ask for it from others who are able to give it. I find that this avoids disappointment.

I hope I haven’t bored you all too much with my stories, and I hope you’ve all been able to take some enjoyment and knowledge from my blog. I’ve so enjoyed reading all of yours.

Farewell!