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音楽合宿に参加した夏休み
今年の雅子さんの夏休みのテーマは「リラックスできて、自分のためになることをする」。一瞬、ヨガの合宿が頭をよぎりましたが、内容の割りにお金がかかりすぎるので却下し、次に思いついたのが音楽の合宿でした。そして、雅子さんは、偶然見つけたメーン州の音楽学校が主催する1週間の合宿に参加してきました。
Music camp in Maine
A few months ago, I realized that I had no summer vacation plans. I was definitely due for a break, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. Last summer, I visited my boyfriend in India, but I didn't feel like doing the same this year. I wanted something more relaxing, something more for myself.
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音楽合宿参加者が催したコンサート。大人の音楽愛好家と若いセミプロとの交流が、この合宿最大の魅力だ |
I briefly thought about going to a yoga retreat. There is a well-known yoga center close to where I live. A week-long program would've helped clear my mind and find physical and mental balance, but it wouldn't necessarily have been fun. In the spirit of self-reflection, the meals would have been taken in complete silence. Also, in spite of the spare meals and accommodation, such programs are not cheap. I wasn't prepared to pay a lot of money for such an austere experience.
I knew my perfect vacation would be to immerse myself in music. The thought of pounding a piano in an isolated room all day did not appeal to me, but practicing chamber music did. In the past, I had gone to two such summer programs in Boston, and I figured I was ready to step up to a "sleep-away" version.
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Kneisel Hall のキャンパスで談笑する講師と合宿参加者たち |
Once the idea took hold, I became immersed in the logistics. Summer music camps spanning months are common for children and pre-professional musicians, but they are not so common for amateur musicians who can only spare a week of vacation time. Moreover, my inspiration had come so late that I had already missed the deadlines of many programs, not to mention that I didn't have an audition tape so I could only apply to camps with "open admissions." Given the extraordinary teachers I've had in the past, I'd be disappointed with a faculty that was less than stellar. And, of course, I wanted to be able to play with exceptional peers, too.
I don't know how I chanced upon Kneisel Hall, but that is where I decided to go. The institute is located in a part of Maine near Acadia National Park, and I thought it would be a great way to immerse myself in a beautiful natural environment while enjoying music-making. One of the things that particularly caught my eye is that the piano coach at Kneisel Hall is a "musical aunt" of mine, since both she and my teacher in Boston studied under Menahem Pressler. Just knowing that helped me solidify my choice. Happily, the other faculty members were also wonderful educators. Two of the coaches were over 80 years old and still very sharp. This was truly inspiring.
Also inspiring were the young pre-professional musicians who shared the campus with us. One of the selling points of this program is that adult amateurs can interact with the youngsters. Sometimes, the young musicians performed with the adults. Sometimes, they served as coaches. Not so long ago, I was just as young as they are, but I never had their passion, commitment and talent. Some of this energy reached my soul.
I was inspired by my fellow amateur musicians as well. We shared our meals around picnic tables with benches and I was happy that they were not the silent meals of the yoga camp. Where else could one hold a conversation with a doctor, dentist, cattle farmer, physics professor, chemistry professor, literature professor, international environmental lawyer, and clothing store owner? Where else could strangers from 20 to 90 merrily hold a conversation about violins? Several participants had music degrees and taught music to children. Some had children who are professional musicians. Most had loved music for decades.
It amazes me to think that after a dream-like week, we're back to leading our real lives, quite far from Maine. Things have been incredibly busy at work since I returned, but some of the excitement of the camp still remains. I've signed up as a member of a national amateur chamber music organization. I've written to several people in the area inquiring about performing in small ensembles. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had. I'd definitely participate again.
Shukan ST: Oct. 1, 2004
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- Maine
- 米北東部メーン州
- was definitely due for a break
- 休みを取る潮時だった
- briefly
- 一瞬
- yoga retreat
- ヨガ道場
- well-known
- 有名な
- wouldn't necessarily have been fun
- 必ずしも楽しくはなかっただろう
- In the spirit of self-reflection
- 内省の精神で
- meals would have been taken in complete silence
- 食事はまったくの静寂の中で行なわれただろう
- In spite of 〜
- 〜にもかかわらず
- spare
- 質素な
- accommodation
- 宿泊施設
- austere
- 禁欲的な
- immerse myself in 〜
- 〜漬けになる
- pounding 〜
- 〜を弾く
- isolated
- 隔離された
- chamber music
- 室内楽
- figured
- 判断した
- sleep-away
- 泊まりがけの
- Once the idea took hold
- 一度考えが固まったら
- logistics
- 準備
- spanning months
- 何ヵ月にもわたる
- pre-professional
- セミプロの
- amateur
- 素人の
- spare 〜
- 〜を割く
- inspiration had come so late that 〜
- 思いついたのが遅すぎて〜
- not to mention that 〜
- 〜はもちろんのこと
- apply to 〜
- 〜に申し込む
- with "open admissions
- 誰でも参加可能な
- Given 〜
- 〜を考えると
- extraordinary
- 非常に素晴らしい
- be disappointed with 〜
- 〜にがっかりする
- faculty
- 講師陣
- less than stellar
- 劣った
- exceptional
- 優秀な
- peers
- 仲間
- chanced upon 〜
- 偶然〜を見つけた
- Kneisel Hall
- メーン州にある音楽学校
- institute
- 学校
- is located in 〜
- 〜にある
- Acadia National Park
- アカディア国立公園
- particularly caught my eye
- 特に目を引いた
- Menahem Pressler
- 著名なピアニスト
- solidify 〜
- 〜を固める
- shared the campus
- 共に学んだ
- youngsters
- 青少年
- served as 〜
- 〜になった
- commitment
- 意欲
- fellow
- 仲間の
- dentist
- 歯科医
- cattle farmer
- 酪農家
- physics
- 物理学
- chemistry
- 化学
- literature
- 文学
- international environmental lawyer
- 国際環境法専門の弁護士
- merrily
- 楽しく
- participants
- 参加者
- music degrees
- 音楽の学位
- for decades
- 何十年も
- It amazes me to 〜
- 〜して驚く
- incredibly
- とても
- (have)signed up as a member of 〜
- 〜の会に登録した
- inquiring about performing in small ensembles
- 小さな合奏団をやらないかと尋ねて