School assemblies are cool. . .

I am taking Hammered Dulcimer lessons from a student at a college near me.  I travel there once a week and we meet for an hour and practice rudiments, skills and some songs.  I recently played for an assembly yesterday at a school that I work for.  The grade school kids just loved it.  They were grades K-5 and it was in two different settings.  I did not play anything special.  I played My Country 'Tis of Thee, Twinkle, Twinkle and a few odds and ends from a Breton song and some of my own doodling or tinkering.  I had a good time and it went well. 

The really cool thing was that I knew I made some mistakes.  I know that some of what I was playing was nothing special.  I know that to me it was not the best I could have done.  But the important thing to me and to the kids and parents and teachers, was that I played.  I played well to them.  I played peacefully, according to them.  I did a wonderful job.  I have been asked to come back to play for the school's 85th birthday.  So I may not be the best player, but to them I did a wonderful job.

And the most important part is I had a good time and the assembly enjoyed the performance.  That is what I can take away from it and that is what I will take away from it.  I will strive to just play better and have a good time, instead of trying to be perfect in my playing.  I will endeavor to play my Dulcimer and enjoy it.

Because School Assemblies are cool !