Friday, December 03, 2004
Sweet Music
Last night the Scales of Justice (Harvard Law School's best (and only) a cappella group) had our fall concert. It went well, as it always does. We weren't perfect, but I didn't expect us to be perfect. We're a bunch of law students, after all.
After the concert, for a brief moment, some weird thoughts popped into my head. This is the fifth semester I've been an active member of the Scales, and the third I've been the Musical Director. We rehearse for four hours a week (more than that as the concert approaches). I have arranged or transcribed a total of ten songs (I think) for the group over that time, and that involves a lot of extra hours of work. Point is, I put a lot of time and effort into this thing. And then, in less than an hour of fun singing on the stage, this semester's work is over. Next semester's rehearsals will be on different music, and who knows how many songs I'll arrange for my final sendoff.
The thought actually crossed my mind: Is this worth it?
The thought didn't cross my mind for long, though, because the obvious answer is: Duh! Of course!
I love music. I think (though I have no way to verify this) that I am the only current Harvard Law Student with a bachelor's degree in music. As a child, teenager and college student, I was a pianist; now I'm a singer/arranger. The instrument and the context don't matter--I think I just need some sort of musical activity going on in my life or I won't be quite content. That's why, for the year and a half I was in DC (after finishing my music degree, but before joining the Scales) I joined the Mormon Choir of Washington (or, as I affectionately called it, the "M-COW"). This is a need in my life that I think I'll always seek to be filled.
The point of Scales isn't our concerts. Sure, it's fun to actually sing in front of people, and for our friends to hear how great we are, and to be impressed with our arranging skills. But it's the journey, not the destination that makes it fun. Yes, the rehearsals take up a lot of my time, but they're among the few hours each week I get to forget about school and reading and tests and the law (except when we sing funny law songs, of course) and just have fun and sing. I remember thinking, at the end of my 1L summer, that the thing I was most looking forward to in my 2L year was the Scales of Justice. We're great friends who help each other out when we're in trouble and even sometimes hang out socially. I wouldn't trade my Scales of Justice experience for anything.
After the concert, for a brief moment, some weird thoughts popped into my head. This is the fifth semester I've been an active member of the Scales, and the third I've been the Musical Director. We rehearse for four hours a week (more than that as the concert approaches). I have arranged or transcribed a total of ten songs (I think) for the group over that time, and that involves a lot of extra hours of work. Point is, I put a lot of time and effort into this thing. And then, in less than an hour of fun singing on the stage, this semester's work is over. Next semester's rehearsals will be on different music, and who knows how many songs I'll arrange for my final sendoff.
The thought actually crossed my mind: Is this worth it?
The thought didn't cross my mind for long, though, because the obvious answer is: Duh! Of course!
I love music. I think (though I have no way to verify this) that I am the only current Harvard Law Student with a bachelor's degree in music. As a child, teenager and college student, I was a pianist; now I'm a singer/arranger. The instrument and the context don't matter--I think I just need some sort of musical activity going on in my life or I won't be quite content. That's why, for the year and a half I was in DC (after finishing my music degree, but before joining the Scales) I joined the Mormon Choir of Washington (or, as I affectionately called it, the "M-COW"). This is a need in my life that I think I'll always seek to be filled.
The point of Scales isn't our concerts. Sure, it's fun to actually sing in front of people, and for our friends to hear how great we are, and to be impressed with our arranging skills. But it's the journey, not the destination that makes it fun. Yes, the rehearsals take up a lot of my time, but they're among the few hours each week I get to forget about school and reading and tests and the law (except when we sing funny law songs, of course) and just have fun and sing. I remember thinking, at the end of my 1L summer, that the thing I was most looking forward to in my 2L year was the Scales of Justice. We're great friends who help each other out when we're in trouble and even sometimes hang out socially. I wouldn't trade my Scales of Justice experience for anything.
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