Jenny Thomas at Madeline Island Chamber Music
Jenny (AQF '25) reached out to share her unforgettable experience at Madeline Island Chamber Music program:
“My experience at Madeline Island Chamber Music was super enriching, exciting and thrilling; and thanks to it, my connection to music, the violin, and chamber music has grown ever deeper. The experiences I had there taught me so much about the fundamental reasons for why I practice and perform the way I do, and in what ways I can change my practicing and performance in order to better serve those reasons.
Some of these reasons that I have learned include to honor the ideas of the composers the best you can, to bring out your own artistic expression and to create an emotional impact for the audience. This camp has also taught me a multitude of techniques to be able to help serve these reasons by giving classes about useful chamber rehearsal techniques, score study tips and listening classes where we listen to music, learn from it, and analyze its qualities. I was also privileged to learn from some amazing chamber coaches and solo lesson teachers.
These coaches were able to bring cohesion, blend and a common idea for what we wanted the music to sound like, while also making room for each of our individual voices to shine. My solo lesson teachers taught me about imagining what I wanted the music to sound like by singing it and conducting it as well at to think about the music with analogies such as a crescendo being a gust of wind or bow changes being like moving your arm fluidly through sand as well as giving me more insight into the era the music was written in and how I can honor the time period’s style better.
Not only did I grow as a musician, but I also got to experience the amazing community and beautiful nature on the island. I met the nicest of friends, faculty, and chamber mates who brought this from a great learning opportunity to an extremely fun, smooth running and unforgettable experience.”
Jenny Thomas