I graduated! ...again

Currently: Sitting in my favorite coffee shop in my home state of Delaware with my bestie

And just like that, the year has come to a close.
 
I put on my cap and gown, walked across the stage, and said goodbye to some people that I may never see again.  This graduation was a bit different than the last.  It hit me a bit harder. Maybe it was the fact that all the people I met were from different corners of the globe and that I seriously may never see them again.  Or maybe it was that our artistry made us vulnerable to each other and taught us more about one another than I would’ve ever thought possible. It’s almost like the learnings and adventures of four years of undergrad were compacted into one year here for my masters. And maybe that’s what made it so intense. 

​All of these unique people, from different parts of the world, came together for the soul purpose of creating music.  What is more beautiful than that?
 
So we spend an entire year collaborating with each other, inspiring each other, and pushing each other to be better artists. It’s almost like we are completely different artists from the ones we entered the program as.  We’re a completely different group of people than the group that entered in September.
 
We walked across the stage, and that was it.  We would no longer have a huge network of amazing musicians all in one building. We would no longer have incredible professors an office hour away.  It was like the whole year, we had worked to create this beautiful body of collaborators and support systems, and at the end, the campus wipes clean and starts all over again.
 
Reminds me of Fallas.  The way each neighborhood in Valencia works so hard all year to raise money and builds an amazing structure just to burn it and start all over again.
 
And somehow it just works.  It has the energy to sustain itself.   

​I’ll be back in Valencia for the start of the next school year to watch it all happen again.  I was lucky enough to have received a fellowship working in the International Career Center at Berklee for the year.   So I’ll spend the next year helping students achieve their dreams, working on more of my music, and getting myself ready to teach some little musicians when I come back.
 
Right now I’m sitting in one of my favorite old coffee shops with my best friend with mixed feelings about heading back to Valencia tomorrow.  I’m incredibly excited for this year and to be headed back to Berklee for another year, but I have no idea where I’ll be or what exactly I’ll be doing when I head back to the states.  And that’s a little scary.  But I’m rolling with it.
 
I’ve had the most incredible time spent at home this past month.  I’ve seen as many friends as I could possibly fit into four weekends, went to Maine (arguably one of my favorite places), spent quality time with family, and released my EP!  

​I had big plans to play a bunch of shows and promote my EP.  Big surprise… I didn’t get to all that.  But I’m okay with it.  I made family and friends a priority this summer, and I think that was the right decision.
 
I got really far with this EP.  Farther than I’ve ever been on my own before when it comes to my original music. So if my mom’s the only person who listens to it, I’m okay with that too.  Because I did the damn thing!
 
The day of my release, at the Ladybug Festival, my venue was packed with so many familiar faces but also with new faces, and that made everything worthwhile.  People smiled and cheered and bought CDs and I was nervous with all of my new gear and buttons.  But just a few months ago, when things were really hard, I couldn’t even have imagined my release day.  It was a wonderful feeling, and still is.  

I hope to get started on new music as soon as I get back to campus.  I want to do it the right way this time.  With enough time to give me more freedom in the creative process.
 
We will see how it goes.
 
Bon voyage!