THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Division Chairs
Past President William McDevitt
billnjmea@aol.com Random Thoughts
So… it’s getting closer. In just a few weeks you can claim yourself as retired! Now what? Some people, before retirement, line up a new job. Some people decide that they’re not going to work ever again.
Some people look for part-time employment. There’s no universal answer. It depends on your age, your health, your family, and your financial state. Then – what about free time? We are very lucky in that we have been practicing our art for at least 40 years by the time that we retire. That means that we are near the top of our game when we stop teaching. Now is the time to reintroduce yourself to creating music! There are community groups in every county in the state that are looking for people like us to add to their ensembles. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for – start your own! We all know how to manage an ensemble from the first meeting through performances, so it would be a logical fit to do the same in retirement. If you leave your job on a positive note, you could probably borrow music from your old library. You have a wealth of personnel if you think about the number of former students that would love to continue to practice the art. There’s probably a local church hall that would allow you to use a community hall for a small fee and would enjoy hosting concerts a few times a year. Hobbies are a great pastime. Most communities offer night school classes for you to learn new things or better your skills at things that you can already do: cooking, wood working, quilting, gardening, wine tasting, computers, just to mention a few. If you don’t see something that you like, why not teach a class on something that you know? Stay healthy! Start that diet that you’ve always talked about. Join a gym! Most gyms offer fitness classes during the
day. You don’t have to become a competitive weightlifter, but fitness classes can help you stay active for the coming decades. Exercise also releases endorphins that help to keep us mentally healthy. If you find a gym buddy, it becomes easier to keep a regular fitness schedule. Many people, upon retirement, seek job training for a new profession. If you have timed it right, you still have de-
cades that you can contribute to some other type of employment. Is there something that interests you that you could never explore because your job kept you too busy? Now is your chance! Most retirees like to travel. Have you been saving for that big trip? Is there someplace (or places) that you have always wanted to see? I have always prided myself on being able to plan vacations and band trips, and then three years ago, I went to Paris. My sister-in-law used a travel agent to plan the trip. I found out a lot of things that I never knew that are going to help in my planning in the future. For example, did you know that most major European cities have rather inexpensive City Passes that allow you entrance to major museums and attractions? The best part is that most of them allow you to enter without waiting in the huge lines. The amount of time that you save waiting for entrances is worth the cost of the pass. One of the most amazing things about retirement travel (and I still have difficulty compre- hending this) is that YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL IN THE SUMMER!
continued on page 8 TEMPO 6 MAY 2018
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