Dutch philosopher Baruch de Spinoza said “virtue is its own reward,” and the students behind the AU club Spinoza have taken those words as their defining mantra.
While many music groups get together to play songs for one another in an attempt to prove who has the most skill, the players behind Spinoza have a much simpler idea behind their get-togethers. Practice is not just a means to an end but a reward in itself.
“It came out of an idea of music director Nancy Snyder,” Helen West, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and president-elect of Spinoza. “Practicing your instrument is a very solitary activity. This way, we get to meet once a week and learn how to practice and learn how to perfect our instruments.”
“The concept for the practice club grew out of a very special relationship that I had with one of my fellow music students in college, Jay Cooley,” Snyder told The Eagle in an e-mail. “While [Cooley] and I were friendly enough, our deepest connection came from the fact that we practiced next to each other.”
The idea was to build a community around what is perhaps the loneliest part of the music-creation process. Instead of locking themselves away in their dorm rooms playing the same chords for hours on end, these musicians meet to share the experience. Ultimately, the goal is a greater sense of solidarity for the musicians on campus.
“It’s kind of like a study group,” West said. “We all support each other so we don’t get disconnected.”
Learning to practice well is an integral part of learning an instrument, and the club has provided students with an incentive to keep at their instruments. Though the club is small, it allows members to have the tight-knit sense of community that the founders believe they need to foster these connections between students.
Spinoza has extended this sense of community beyond AU’s campus. The group is currently preparing for a “Practice-a-thon” to benefit the Sitar Arts Center, an organization that provides arts education to underprivileged and at-risk youth.
“The Sitar Center has been our partner for several years,” West said. “They bring the gift of music to kids who might not have it.”
Many of the volunteers at the Sitar Arts Center are AU students, so it’s connection to the school made it a very promising partnership. In order to provide the Sitar Center with as much help as possible, Spinoza has put on these practice-a-thons.
On Saturday, April 17, the club will erect a soundproof glass module from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside of the Harris Teeter at 1631 Kalorama Rd. N.W., right across the street from the Sitar Arts Center. There will be a rotating set of students who occupy the module for the full eight hours, practicing continuously for others to watch (but not hear).
Tablers will hand out literature and discuss with visitors the importance of practice, not only for musicians but also for students who may not fully understand the need to study or dedicate themselves in other portions of their lives. Spinoza is seeking to make an impression on the people who see them.
“Part of practicing is getting connected to the community, and a lot of the students here [at AU] need to get connected more,” West said.
The students behind Spinoza believe more than practice makes perfect. They believe that practice is as much of what defines us, and that it applies to everyone, not just an aspiring instrumentalist. So if you’re looking to help support the D.C. arts community and chat about the value of studious practicing in a fast-paced world, join Spinoza at Harris Teeter this Saturday.
You can reach this staff writer at mrichardson@theeagleonline.com.
