As a teacher, one of the greatest joys is witnessing how the arts continue to shape and influence the lives of students long after they leave the studio. I LOVE learning about how my students continue to SEE and FEEL the impact of the arts in their life once they move on to university and beyond.
Today, I’m thrilled to share an interview with Maria Correa, who has been my student since she was just 4 years old. 🥰 I was Maria’s kindergarten music teacher, and watching her journey with music has been nothing short of inspiring.
In her interview, Maria shares a deeply moving insight:
“Every time I practice or perform, I am transformed and taken somewhere, and I sing from the heart and it’s very meaningful. I am centered. And when I’m singing, I feel like what I’m doing has meaning.”
This beautifully stated reflection is unbelievably POWERFUL. Isn’t this the ultimate goal of studying music? To be fully present, immersed in the moment, finding meaning and purpose through our art. ✨
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call this a state of “flow.” His theory suggests that people are happiest when they are in this state—“being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
This is self-expression and self-discovery at its finest.
Why Music Matters
Music is a POWERFUL tool for self-expression. It transcends language and cultural barriers, providing a universal medium through which individuals can communicate their deepest emotions and thoughts. For young people, music offers an accessible and engaging way to explore and articulate their identities. 🎶
One of the most significant impacts of music is its ability to evoke and regulate emotions. Whether through the lyrics of a favourite song or the cathartic release of playing an instrument, music creates a profound connection to one’s inner world. This emotional engagement is crucial for self-expression, as it helps young people—and adults too—understand and articulate their emotions more clearly.
The Role of the Arts in Emotional Exploration
The arts, particularly music, play a crucial role in enhancing one’s ability to self-express and self-regulate. They provide an amazing medium for emotional exploration and release, offering an outlet for coping with life’s pressures and complexities. The creative process fosters critical thinking, encouraging us to think outside the box and develop innovative solutions to problems, whether big or small.
Self-expression leads to clarity, and clarity leads to meaningful communication—bringing FREEDOM to our minds and bodies.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
When we can articulate our thoughts, emotions, and identities clearly, we build CONFIDENCE and RESILIENCE in knowing WHO WE ARE and WHAT WE WANT. 💥
The study of music and art is an invaluable gift to our children and ourselves. Maria’s journey is a testament to this truth. The impact of the arts in her life is profound and ongoing, and it serves as a beautiful reminder that the Artist Within is a wise teacher who stays with us for life. 🤍
Enjoy Maria’s interview below and feel the profound impact that the arts continue to have on her life.
Keep singing,
xo Andrea “looking to the artist within” Donais
P.S. Registration for the RISE Children’s Choir 2024/2025 Season is now open. We would love to meet you and share more about our choral experience for youth in JK through Grade 12. We would love to help your child develop their confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through choral music and the gift of self-expression. If you would like more information, just respond to this email.
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Recently, I got to catch up with Maria Correa and we had a truly inspiring conversation about the impact of the arts in her life and the lives of those around her.
Maria expressed an interest in the arts when she began making up songs in kindergarten. “There are videos of me at six months old in the kitchen singing along to the music my parents were playing”.
She joined dance in kindergarten and continued on until she was in grade seven. Maria did music in school from as early as she could – joining choirs in school and she enjoyed it so much that in grade one, she joined the Upper Canada Chorus where she reconnected with the Donais Studios founder (and her future private voice instructor) Andrea. She joined Donais Studios in grade seven and continued taking private lessons until she graduated high school and went on to study medical sciences at Western University.
In terms of perspective, Maria shared that she learned so much about herself through her engagement with the arts throughout her life. She said “I have discovered what I like and what I’m confident in which shapes my perspective of who I am. When I know what I want, it is easier to find things and succeed in things in my life.”
She continued in saying that her perspective on the world has been shaped through music as well “Everyone is different, for music there is so much difference – I have learned that not everyone is the same as I am, or this person is so unique and that is so intriguing”
In our conversation together, I asked Maria her thoughts on how the arts shape and influence communications and relationships. She had this to say: “Whoever is in music or the arts shares a common interest and that is one connection where you can start a friendship or a relationship.” Maria also shared, “ I am still friends with some choir friends that I met when I was twelve, so the fact of being in this community of arts and music… wherever you’re doing it, you’re going to meet people who have the same interests as you and you will build relationships through that.”
Maria believes that the arts are meaningful and transformative and she says that “Every time I practice or perform, I am transformed and taken somewhere and I sing from the heart and it’s very meaningful. I am centered. And when I’m singing, I feel like what I’m doing has meaning.”
What a beautiful thought. As artists, everything we do has so much meaning and comes from a place of being truly vulnerable. It makes such a difference in this world.
~An interview by Amelia DePiero, Donais Studios
(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi).