Beginning again.(The Back Page)

In spring 2002, I attended an event at the University of Montevallo and enjoyed a performance by one of our music majors who played the flute beautifully. She was poised, artistic and accomplished. Someone mentioned that evening that this player would be performing her senior recital the following night, so I decided to attend. I had played flute in high school and, although I was just an ordinary band player, I loved the instrument. I attended the young woman's recital and talked to her afterward. Imagine my surprise when I heard myself saying I would like to be her student and take up again the flute I had put aside thirty-seven years ago! She agreed, and we made plans to begin.

With my re-worked Bundy flute and my Rubank Elementary Method Book in hand, I started a wonderful adventure with my teacher, Meredith Bird Milstead. In the twelve months following, I learned lessons I never expected. My playing certainly has improved, although I will never be a real musician. Music is a pleasure to me, but unfortunately my talent equips me to be a better audience member than I am performer!

When Meredith graduated that May, I realized I needed a "culminating activity" for my experience with her. My parents were coming for a visit later that month, so Meredith and I planned a recital. The program was not too demanding, and the audience was just relatives. I was certainly not ready for the real concert stage! Meredith and I practiced and performed six duets, and I played one solo, accompanied by a friend, Shari Boruvka, who is on the music faculty at Montevallo. Performing turned out to be at the same time amazingly terrifying and strangely wonderful. I learned lessons that night I had never experienced just practicing and playing for my teacher.

First, I learned the power of stepping out into a public arena where my competence is marginal. Grownups don't do that often. We are so accustomed to our lives that we just go where we are successful and do the things we always do. Risk is electrifying! We lived with it when we were young and grew immeasurably by being tested. Preparing and performing that recital tested me in ways I had not experienced in the recent past!

Second, I learned that mistakes happen and do not make you die. During our performance I only ...