By Skye Nguyen • Junior • Viola
On the Friday of the trip, I woke up early to grab breakfast. We had a rehearsal, and I felt the inevitable pressure that comes with a pending future performance. Sometime after that, I got to go to the Music for All conference, where they celebrated all kinds of music and ensembles. What I resonated with were the references to psychology and the ways teachers can work to apply intrinsic motivation to guide their students to become autonomous and eventually be better at what they do. to, in turn, motivate them to be better for themselves. They referenced Abraham Maslow and his theory of self-actualization, which is at the top of the hierarchy of needs. They tied it into how to make the overall experience greater by getting people more motivated to reach out and make new experiences and friendships.
They also emphasized a certain motif throughout all the conferences, which I believe is what the whole event is centered around. The celebration of the music we have worked towards throughout the 2023 year. The festival was an invaluable experience that will stick with me forever. I was glad to be able to have the honor of participating in such an event and to have many adults and others invest so much to make it happen. The event as well as the Indianapolis trip as a whole has made me realize the importance of music as a whole in education and society.
