I haven’t blogged in a few weeks and time has been slipping through my fingertips. Oh, there’s been plenty on- Many wheels are moving and the way people are coming together to work and make things happen is amazing. Monday I submitted my final (I hope) typescript for my upcoming book: Fostering self-efficacy in higher education students, and that was a major milestone. If all goes to plan, it will be finished and in the pulp (can’t really say in the flesh?) by October. Then there’s the Cello Weekend that I am running in April, with a lovely guest flying over from Chicago, and in May is the big event – the Musiquality ‘Don’t You Quit’ world tour – where the group (5 students + me + our instruments) fly off to California to connect, collaborate, and create with students and teachers from Righetti HS, UCLA, and Cal Poly. That is going to be amazing. (more on that project in a few days)
So I have let writing on the blog slip-
and then on Monday I tuned in to the first #DMLCommons webinar and Alan Levine said something that was an absolute cracker:
‘you don’t get a community with everyone sitting on their front porch talking to themselves.’
He really got me thinking, and he’s right, you know. You don’t get a community when people get too busy to talk to anyone either! Time is a magic thing and I am so hungry to learn. The real problem suddenly dawned on me – with the level of connectedness available through technology it is humanly impossible to keep up. That’s pretty much it. There is just so much to do, so much life to live, and today – so much cake to eat! (fitting in a bake sale in about an hour for the Musiquality project) Maybe it’s like you have to paddle really hard and then you can ride the wave? I’m paddling at the moment and having that vision of the goal is so inspiring.
So we’ve had the projects and the provocation of the quote. What’s the projectile? It’s vaulting ‘us’ into the learning and living experience. For me, in the midst of all these projects I’m singing, playing, baking, hiking, doing, reflecting, learning, and living more in the here and now and doing it all with confidence and real joy. I love the hustle of the cross-continental communication that comes in at all hours and I love the peace of chasing the moon across the sea until it sets – real time, synchronous, asynchronous, connecting with the land, with people, within and without.
I am challenging myself to take Alan’s advice to heart- small and large scale. So if I meet you along one of my journeys, don’t be surprised if I say hello. I may not know you yet, but we may be part of a community soon.
Photo credits: People photo: CC licensed here http://bit.ly/18XirOs ROcker photo CC licensed here: http://bit.ly/1CaMUmg Featured image CC licensed here: http://bit.ly/1N7tt2y
You’ve put into words what I was thinking about blogging. It can so easily get pushed onto the back burner. But signing up for #dmlcommons may push me into writing. Looking forward to meeting you there
Looking forward to your book too.
Wow, you’re living to the max. So inspiring. I look forward to your book, and, if you have time, posts about your trip adventures. Although you haven’t had time to blog (understandably!), the community you check in with in between all your activity will be enriched. (So many prepositions in that last sentence.) I’m particularly interested in what kind of possibilities exist for musicians since my son is in his third undergrad year, and opportunities for music careers in Australia are not promising. And yet if you can’t not do music you have a problem.
Anway, thanks so much for noticing my tweet, Laura. I was super surprised when you replied because I didn’t expect it.
Wow, someone was listening.
Looking forward to meeting you in May. Too bad you won’t get to sit on my porch, it’s got quite the view.
listening and learning- how could I pass up a free lesson from you, Howard, and Jim?!? Very much looking forward to meeting up in May! -you going to bring your guitar?? …I’ll have my cello 🙂