Nurturing and Safe Environment

by Alexandra Wiebe

I took violin and voice lessons with Kim Lauritsen from age 8 to 16. I performed my first masterclass at The Music Settlement! It was with Professor J. R. Frolic from Baldwin Wallace University and I was twelve years old. I had watched many masterclasses at The Music Settlement, and decided that what I needed to prove my commitment to the craft was to perform as a participant in one. I remember diligently preparing my song, and being somewhat anxious to get up and perform it, but it ended up being a great experience. I learned a lot about taking and implementing feedback from professionals outside my artistic team, which has proven to be an indescribably useful skill in my professional life.

It was really valuable to learn how to get up and perform in front of an audience from such a young age. Looking back, I very much appreciate the amount of performing I got to do at The Music Settlement. They say it takes ten thousand hours to become an expert at something, so at this point in my career I'm very grateful to have started racking up those hours early on!

I was definitely able to grow my confidence as a performer in a safe and welcoming environment. It's always vulnerable to get up in front of people and sing, especially because the voice is an inherent part of our bodies instead of being an instrument that we can just walk away from when we are finished performing. As we progress in our training as singers, we become increasingly more critical of our own sound and this can seriously hinder our ability to give free and authentic performances. It is so important to gain the confidence on your own voice early on as a singer, and I definitely found that at The Music Settlement.

The Music Settlement is a very nurturing and safe environment for kids to explore their love of music. Even if kids don't grow up to be professional musicians, engaging with music as young kids creates life-long music lovers which is so important to keep the industry thriving.