empathy (em-puh-thee): The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Well, according to the lovely test, I score a 34 in empathy. I'm going to say I hope I'm a bit more empathetic than that. I do often find myself in situations where I don't understand where someone is coming from, but I am also very considerate and open to others' voices. Although I may be low in empathy, I feel a 34 does not reflect me. I may be a Grinch, but in the end his heart grew so I'm good.
Empathy isn't really something to be taught. Parents can teach you manners, they can teach you about faith, they can teach you to tie your shoe or how to ride a bike. But the concept of empathy is something that comes from within. It is your own personal thoughts and feelings, not something your parents taught you. Parents can share their ideas and empathy can be shared in that way, but not given. It is something to be learned on your own.
One of my teachers at my school shows a great deal of empathy. She is constantly thinking of others and how they feel. The concern she has is very noticeable and she tries to make an effort to make everyone comfortable. She is very conscience about what she says and also very caring. She is open to listen to almost anyone who comes to her to talk. On the other hand (and since we're on the teacher subject), a clerk at my school who usually deals with the attendance, tardies, etc. is my target. To put it bluntly (there's my unempatheticness), the only way you could really get an absence or tardy excused was if someone had died. My mother had me checked out once for a scheduled doctor's appointment and she wouldn't excuse the absences. A friend of mine missed because she had the stomach virus and the lovely clerk wouldn't excuse that either. She may be my fellow Grinch, because she's much nicer this year.
I chose the word: Growth. This word for me has multiple meanings behind it in that I want to grow closer to God, grow in His will for my life, and grow as a person moving on to the next chapter of their life. This resolution pulls me back to a Bible verse that a camp counselor gave me in a rough spot: Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ."
People I envy almost more than anyone in the world are composers. Whether they wrote a soundtrack or a symphony or just a random song, I typically find myself jealous that I didn't write it. Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Williams, Danny Elfman, John Powell, etc. The list is absolutely ENDLESS. Music is my passion and to write a good piece is something I always want. Being an actor (and this is probably some kind of theater kid syndrome), we try to make every story a little bit more dramatic or epic. We want to have that jaw-dropping moment or surprise. We long to make people laugh (or cry). I can't pin something I lie about specifically, but there's always an aspect of truth that we like to bend to tell the better tale.
1. I want to know: rehearsal techniques for music.
2. What are the best rehearsal methods for musical groups?
3. I envision using a slideshow program such as PowerPoint or Prezi. I may create a comic strip of photos showing a particular rehearsal method.
4. Refer to 3.
Edits: (1) My target audience: I feel like I'm targeting younger aspiring music teachers or conductors, such as myself. (2) My final project will include (as of now) a Prezi, a small slideshow of pictures enacting a music rehearsal, and a creative diagram that I'm processing in this brain of mine. (3) I hope to solve a few things: how to keep the choir or group interesting and pumped, how to reduce talking and get more work done, but most importantly keep it fun. (4) Being in a musically-inclined family, I will interview my aunt and uncle (my mentors), my mother, two of my cousins (who are music teachers), my chorus teacher, and my band director.
