The beauty of completely unscheduled days
As music teachers, we spend much of the year pouring ourselves into our students’ musical journeys. Often, it can feel like there’s no end to the list of tasks needing our attention—lessons to plan, emails to answer, performances to prepare for, repertoire to choose, and students to encourage. That’s why I appreciate the summer break. It’s a welcome opening to recharge our own wellbeing and simply breathe a little more deeply.
I appreciate the beauty of completely unscheduled days. How having nothing planned out can feel like a gift. No clock to watch. No particular place you need to be. Nothing that needs your immediate attention. Maybe you let your mind wander. Take a long walk. Spend time with people you love or do absolutely nothing for a while. Put away the cellphone for a couple of hours. These quiet spaces remind us that life doesn’t always have to be productive to be meaningful.
There is something restorative about having space in the day simply to be — to sleep in, to sit outside a little longer, read something for pleasure, notice the changing light, or follow a thought wherever it leads. We don’t always need to fill the empty spaces. Sometimes, the space itself is what we need to simply enjoy being alive. Summer invites us to move at a different pace.
May this summer refresh your spirit, rekindle your love of life, and gently prepare you for another year of helping students explore the joy of making music. I’m hoping that when the busyness begins again, you’ll carry some of this summer’s spaciousness with you - a reminder that there is always room for a slower pace, a deeper breath, and a little more time simply to be.