Name: Eve Murphy
Class Year: 2022
Major: Music and sociology
Hometown: Rockland County, N.Y.
Internship Organization: Rock to the Future
Job Title: Music and Administrative Intern
Endowed Internship Funding Award: Otto and Gertrude Pollak Fund
Location: Philadelphia (remotely)
Music Education in a Time of Social Distancing
When we think about music we often think of packed arenas, orchestras filling a stage, of a capella groups standing shoulder to shoulder. And when we think of music education we think about sitting next to a student on the piano bench pointing them to which key they should be playing, getting them to jump up and down together to get excited to sing, playing in bands together, doing it as much for the love of the ensemble as for the love of the music. But things are different this summer and Rock to the Future has found a way to adapt. Rock to the Future has been engaging Philadelphia youth in student-driven music programs in a safe and supportive environment since 2010, but this summer they couldn’t operate their camps at their typical high school locations, so that environment became Zoom.
After being a student online myself, I know how different it feels from sitting in a classroom. One of the best things about being in college is that you’re in this communal environment where everyone is learning together. Going to Bryn Mawr is being close to your learning all the time, literally living next to the classrooms that you learn in. And this means everything to subjects like music, in which collaboration is fundamental. To me, music has always been about unifying different types of people, but how do you find that at a distance?
I applied for this internship because I’m interested in a career in music education as well as nonprofit administration and it was the perfect combination. I originally figured I would be teaching in classrooms and assisting administrative work in offices, but I’ve gotten to learn new things in an unexpected format.
I decided to focus on trying to show students how music gives me a sense of individual purpose, especially in a time of great uncertainty. Although I value my time in ensembles and the experience of music as a unified whole so highly, I can’t forget how it serves me as a solitary activity. Whether it’s going into the Denbigh dance studio to practice piano or listening through my earbuds while riding the Blue Bus, music is at the same time deeply personal.
Teaching instruments in a group Zoom class entails a lot of calling on one student at a time to play a section of a piece, and doing vocals means keeping them muted while I warm them up, watching their mouths moving to see if they are forming the right vowels. I’m often met with a feeling of inadequacy when it comes to teaching online and it’s hard to feel the same excitement through a computer screen. But Rock to the Future prides itself on meeting students where they’re at, so I’m working on doing the same for myself.
My students’ willingness to sign on every day and try to see which strings I’m holding on my guitar through a computer screen is proof that even at a distance, students understand the value of learning music, even if the payoff is long in the future. My students take each day for what it is, finding enjoyment in sitting with their peers even virtually and being able to plunk out an Ed Sheeran tune after a couple tries.
Somehow along the way, connecting to myself individually and giving myself a sense of purpose allows me to feel more connected with others. We do these check-ins during each class where I ask each student, "What’s your rose and thorn for the day?" Often they’re related to being finished with online school, or the weather, being away from their friends, or sometimes the protests outside. And I don’t try to offer them clarity on what they bring up, I just try to offer them a place to practice music, as they offer me a way to connect my individual purpose with others.
Visit the Summer 2020 Internships page to read more student stories.