I’ve been thinking lately about what my responsibility is around teaching.

The day we came back from spring break, I asked the YAMA Philharmonia Orchestra students what goals they have for themselves as musicians as we finish out the year. Nearly half of them said they want to be more confident. Wow, I thought, how on earth do I support them in this goal?

How are we doing as both a music program and a social program? Developing students both musically and socially are interconnected processes that must work together.

YAMA has been a huge part of my life and has introduced me to one of my closest friends. In YAMA I’ve learned to be comfortable in my own skin. YAMA Philharmonia has recently had the opportunity to go to Seattle to meet and work with incredible musicians.

We at YAMA have been trying to hone in on why YAMA is what it is, and what makes it that way. A YAMA Board member recently made the observation that none of us (the Teaching Artists, or TAs) are teaching in the way we were trained. We are striving for more, reaching for a different culture.

First, though, I have a question for you: Do you believe in magic? Or, if it is easier on your sensibilities to rephrase the word ‘magic’, do you believe in the power of intention?

As I prepared for my second year of teaching at YAMA this fall, I forced myself to look ahead to the darker days of winter when the gloss of learning a new instrument starts to fade and motivation issues set in. In the beginning, classroom management is made easy by the fact friendships haven't yet blossomed and the student's eagerness to impress their new teacher.