Course Spotlight: Music Sports
By FORREST ZENG
Every week, 400 students take private music lessons with the Academy’s Music Department, on instruments ranging from piano to the bassoon. Only a handful of student musicians, however, are enrolled in the music sports course, a physical education course reserved for the most dedicated of the Academy’s musicians.
For these musicians, music sports is a chance to explore their musical passions amidst the chaotic bustle of an Exeter schedule. Every weekday at 3:45 P.M., a dozen of the school’s best musicians set out from the Music Building for a walk around campus. They spend the next 30 minutes strolling, doing yoga, or playing badminton—the “sports” part of the course. Then, they have the next 1 hour free to practice their instruments in the music building. As a PE course, students receive a sports credit for each term they are in the course.
“Music sports is dedicated for students to have a break between their classes and practice,” course teacher as well as French and Spanish teacher Maude Havenne said. “We’re trying to exercise not only the mind but also the body. We do walking, meditation, and yoga. Sometimes, we might do a bit of badminton and a bit of climbing,”
Upper Sofia Gulick described her favorite part of the course. “We exercise for around 30 minutes and then check in with Mr. Smith, our amazing orchestra director. He loves to ask us which pieces we’re working on,” Gulick said. “And it gives us an outlet to describe what we’re practicing, which is important to us.”
Music sports is a time for musicians to focus and reflect on their practices. “It’s a time to think thoughtfully about our methods of practicing, and the way we go about it.”
Before enrolling in music sports, many students found it difficult to practice consistently at the Academy. Gulick described, “If I do a sport, I would come out of the sport, eat dinner, go to orchestra, and go home. And my family certainly does not want me drumming at home, at night. Having time during the day is nice.”
Music sports students are often widely involved with other music classes, such as chamber music and orchestra. The course makes it much easier to practice individually between other activities. “It’s really hard to get music practice in at Exeter with all of our homework and various commitments. I remember when I did chamber orchestra, symphony orchestra, chamber groups, and private lessons—it was incredibly difficult to find time to actually practice for those things, rather than just participate in them,” upper Sophia Davis described.
While only a handful of students are delegated to the course each term, music sports has become a tight community of passionate musicians. “It’s a great part of our day where we can practice, and also get our exercise in,” upper Victoria Vanderslice concluded. “It’s amazing.”
For students who are interested in signing up for music sports, more information can be found in the Academy’s Course of Instructions, as well as with the Chair of the Music Department, Barb Darby at bdarby@exeter.edu.
