People who study Creative Motion at Windswept often return year after year. We asked workshop participants the following questions.
What did you love most about Windswept?
"Creative Motion gets to the essence of music and expressiveness, which is beyond what can be taught in a conservatory." -Dr. Robert C. Smith, Professor of Piano Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX
"Choosing just one thing to love about Windswept is impossible. I learned things about music that I had never thought were possible. Every moment in a piece is important, even the silence. The workshoppers are some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. They are so genuine, thoughtful, creative and funny, and have taught me so much." -Kelly Robertson, clarinet and piano, high school student, Iowa City, IA
"The closeness that develops in the workshops through sharing the search for understanding of the energy patterns within music, our bodies and life. " -Eileen Auxier, music educator, Murphysboro, IL
"I love getting together with my Windswept friends, sharing meals, music, and laughter together. I love the fact that no one there thinks it's weird when I talk about music and energy." Dr. Mary Ann Fritz, Ft. Worth, TX
"[I love] the community that develops as the energy connects people to people." -Frank A. Heller, III, Louisville, TX
How has Creative Motion study made a difference in your music?
"It has made my career unique, and has helped me forge my own secure way of teaching." -Dr. Robert C. Smith, Professor of Piano Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary
"My music has become less about the notes, dynamics and everything technical and more about the feeling. It's so easy to learn a piece when you enjoy it, and Windswept helped me learn to enjoy practicing and playing. Breathing has become a big part of playing, making the music flow so much better." -Kelly Robertson, clarinet and piano, high school student, Iowa City, IA
"I can't remember how music felt without knowing about Creative Motion. However, I find performing or listening to music without CM tiring and uninteresting." -Eileen Auxier, music educator, Murphysboro, IL
"Work in Creative Motion has completely transformed my music making, in that it provides a path for exploring the inner workings of flow in music. The emphasis on aligning oneself with the energy of the music allows me to relax into the performance, which greatly increases musicality." Dr. Mary Ann Fritz, Ft. Worth, TX
"It allows me to experience the music beyond the printed page. To search for deeper understanding and discover the essence of the composer's intentions and feelings." -Frank A. Heller, III, Louisville, TX
How has Creative Motion study made a difference in your life?
"Having been introduced to energy work at an early age, I was able to recognize and feel the value of other modes of energy work when they became available to the rest of society." -Dr. Robert C. Smith, Professor of Piano Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX
"Everything feels horizontal and vertical! :) It's calming to think about in daily life, to remember to breathe. It's definitely helped with a lot of stress." -Kelly Robertson, clarinet and piano, high school student, Iowa City, IA
"From the time I heard Anne Niles say, "Let's just take a deep breath and start a new phrase" (when we were all irritated and complaining because we were locked out of Presser Hall on a Sat. morning), I have known that I have the power to do that. Through the understanding of Creative Motion, I am able to take a deep breath and start a new phrase regardless of the circumstances, and it has made a tremendous difference in my life!!" -Eileen Auxier, music educator, Murphysboro, IL
"After my introduction to Creative Motion work, I realized that I had been trying to control my hands (really my entire body) as I played the piano, when releasing to the flow of the energy made it all so much easier and more musical. That realization led to experimentation with releasing to the flow of energy in other situations, with great results." Dr. Mary Ann Fritz, Ft. Worth, TX
"It enriches who I am and offers me the opportunity to welcome people into a greater depth of life and living." -Frank A. Heller, III, Louisville, TX
Why do you think you will someday return to another Windswept Music Workshop?
"It is essential, not optional!" -Dr. Robert C. Smith, Professor of Piano Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX
"I have no reason not to! I look forward to seeing my friends and making new ones all year. Coming back each summer is like a refueling. The week is a very emotionally charged time for everyone, and brings us closer every year. Even though we only see each other for one week, it's like we never left! I learn something new every year, too, and relearn things I forgot. I never want to miss it." -Kelly Robertson, clarinet and piano, high school student, Iowa City, IA
"I will be there as often as circumstances permit, because learning through Creative Motion is always new and exciting no matter how many years I have studied and used it." Eileen Auxier, music educator, Murphysboro, IL
"I never miss it. It's so much a part of my year that I can't imagine not going to Windswept." Dr. Mary Ann Fritz, Ft. Worth, TX
"It keeps me balanced and whole." -Frank A. Heller, III, Louisville, TX
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