composition & improvisation On Play. Play On!


Leila Ramagopal Pertl, WMEA State Chair, Composition & Improvisation


I marvel at how play, lightness and humor dance con- tinually with their constant compan- ions; the sacred, the profound and the serious. Inseparable in their partnerships, they play an inte-


gral role in how we build inspiring and life-affirming classrooms in which our students thrive musically, and in which our students can recreate themselves each time they walk in. Having spaces within our school that empower a student to share themselves and their ideas in dynamic collaboration, to find roads of change and compromise, and to imagine who they might be or become, is like inviting them into a timeless portal, where all things are possible; where destructive ideas and negative self-concepts can be shaped into productive and nourishing paths. Ah, I am always in awe of the love music teachers bring to each student within these power- ful learning spaces. And I am so grateful for the myriad ways my students have shaped me along this wild ride of endless possibility.


If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it is that we are not always in control. Nearly overnight, we have all been thrust into an entirely different way of life, where home and work have reluctantly found their way together, coupled by the Zoom or Google portal. When is the last time you found another whole, interactive world on the other side of your computer screen? For many, this adjustment feels like being flung 200 years into the future into an intergalactic school system, except that all the technology hasn’t caught up yet. Yes, we are certainly not always in control. But when is the last time you saw so many people across our country collectively and passionately extend their good will in sharing new ideas and strate- gies for teaching and connecting – all born


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from an immediate need to create? News articles from around the country, includ- ing our home state, give testimony to how music teachers have provided some of the most comforting, most beautiful and most inspiring, newly invented music-making spaces during this time of upheaval. How did we do this? We played!


What is play anyway? Well, there are many ways we use the word, but at its heart, play is the act of wondering, imagin- ing, risk taking and creating. It is at its best when we are in a liminal state, the place in between, where we “don’t know.” To embrace the unknown leads us to won-


“To embrace the unknown leads us to wonder, imagine, take risks, then create.”


der, imagine, take risks, then create. It is a sacred act of divining the possible by tearing down the walls of myopic paths and limiting thought about one’s self or others. We enter into a sacred playground where we can contribute ideas, but, more importantly, where we learn to anticipate, desire, and cherish the ideas of others, especially as they mingle with our own to create something entirely new.


Play, especially collaborative play, pro- duces delight, value, belonging, and, most importantly, the knowledge that you have the power to change ideas and your sense of what you can bring to a creative activity. We can literally, and quite magi- cally, imagine who we can be, alone and together, and through play, become what we have imagined!


Virtual Learning Resources for Music Educators


NAfME Societies and Councils have compiled distance learning and professional development resources from their own original teaching experiences, music educators in their school districts, universities, communities, peers, or other trusted sources. Available to NAfME members at no cost to help you keep teaching, learning, and making music through coronavirus disruptions.


Learn more at bit.ly/ VirtualTeachingLearningMusicEd or visit nafme.org.


In her book, Deep Play, Diane Acker- man says, “The deep-play world is fresh, wholly absorbing, and full of its own unique wisdom and demands. Being able to temporarily step outside of normal life – while keeping one’s senses alert – is indeed like being reborn.” When we al- low for play in our classrooms, especially collaborative play, we infuse each student with the ability to become powerfully vulnerable with others who are doing the same. This shared vulnerability builds trust, respect, compassion, listening and deep communication.


Setting up environments for play (like for composition and improvisation) also means we teachers have to be ok in that liminal space. We have to be ok with not


January 2021


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