I hope all of you who celebrate Christmas had a lovely day yesterday! I personally was enjoying sunny weather in beautiful Aruba. Back in August, Winterhalter Music bid adieu to a very special person– my former assistant of 2 years, Liz Panarelli. Liz was a wonderful person with a great work ethic. She set my expectations high showing me what was possible with an amazing assistant. I’ll admit that filling Liz’s shoes was not easy. After some searching, I did find a great new assistant, Ana Lim. She brings much experience to the table, as she formerly managed the after school arts program at Holton Arms School and worked at the Kennedy Center prior to that. While Ana doesn’t play an instrument currently, she loves music and has a high school age daughter, who is a very serious violist. As we get ready to start the new year I wanted to share with you Ana’s thoughts on music.
Looking back, how did your involvement in music affect you?
I was very fortunate to grow up in a family that appreciated music. We always had a piano or electric organ and guitar in the house, in addition to a variety of other musical instruments. As a young child, my older siblings formed a garage band and would perform pop music arrangements at family events and parties.
By the time I was a teenager, I did not play an instrument but had a very strong tie to music. I often accompanied my parents to orchestral concerts, and in college, as a humanities student I considered a minor in ethnomusicology.
As an adult, I have been lucky enough to be involved with music organizations, even if only in an administrative capacity. For 6 years, I managed the after-school arts program at the Holton Arms School, of which private music lessons were a large part. I also worked as a personnel manager for the American Youth Philharmonic in Northern Virginia. Prior to that, I worked at the Kennedy Center, first for Special Programming, and then later for Human Resources.
What has a lifelong love of music meant to you?
As a young schoolgirl, I remember a beloved English teacher quoting William Congreve “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.” This quote made such an impression on me, because even at that age, I recognized it to be absolute truth. Through every stage of my life, music has been either a source or a companion to almost every part of my life: happy occasions, sad events, and perhaps most importantly, everyday life. From singing in the shower first thing in the morning, to listening to classical music as I drift off to sleep, music is constant and ever-present in my life. Music has always been there to pull me out of a melancholy mood, or to get me motivated to work out a little harder. And nothing brings out emotion in me as much as music.
This is why I am such a strong advocate for early music education. Despite all the benefits that scientific research as shown, the biggest benefit to it, in my opinion, is this lifelong love of music that will never leave. It imprints itself in your heart and your soul, and makes its home there.
I hope you enjoyed reading Ana’s reflections on music and music education. Please join me in welcoming her and making her feel at home with us. Leave a comment below and tell me what a lifelong love of music has meant for you. Subscribe to the newsletter and “like us” on Facebook. Thanks for reading, and have a beautiful winter day!
Sincerely,
Cassie
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