Memory 5

When you’re a music education major at a small private college, your graduating class is not going to be massive. Lucky for me, I got to complete my education with 13 other talented, special, and gifted individuals. By the time we had reached our senior year, we were with each other all day, every day, as every one of our classes was a music class of some kind. In these music classes we would watch each other perform day after day routines of “my turn, your turn”, watching one another be put on the spot, and struggling with those instruments that we had learned 6 semesters prior. It was an incredible feeling of teamwork and support… all egos aside and realizing that we were preparing ourselves for the fast approaching real world. It was a great era of life.

Students are students, no matter how old they may be. It was announced that there was a potential for class being canceled. These are dangerous words for any teacher to even think of uttering. They were uttered by one of my professors. The class was Elementary Methods and the dilemma was that we needed the class hours, but the teacher couldn’t be present. Now, I realize that musicians receive a lot of flack for being dim-witted, egotistical, crazy, lunatic, and a whole bunch of other adjectives of negative nature that are right the majority of the time. However, this one special day we came up with a brilliant plan…

If you do not reside or know anything about the culture of central Pennsylvania, let me tell you something important: diners are not just a place to eat, they are a way of life. For as strange as that sounded to this New York chick a whole 5 years ago, it was a part of the central Pennsylvanian culture that was quickly adapted into my lifestyle…and it was oh, so good.

The plan was this: we were still going to hold class as needed. We would just take class on a field trip. Our class was an 8am anyways, so we met in our classroom and piled in our cars and departed to Bakers, the local famous diner joint for all Messiah students. If you’re going to have class without a professor, you might as well have it with a plate of pancakes and bacon to keep you company and to make the learning process a little more pleasant. 

And that’s exactly what happened.

We also spent that time remembering, reflecting, and laughing over our journey together over the previous 4 years. 

Oh glorious day.