I'll stay until the wind changes...

To my beloved Newfield Family:

I am writing you to say farewell; you have likely heard of my departure from Newfield. My greatest regret in my time with you is not being able to say goodbye to each of you in person. 

I deeply care for each one of you, the students and the community of Newfield, and have both enjoyed and valued every moment of my time here. I have learned many great lessons, experienced the incredible potential of young people, witnessed the growth of the choirs, and watched my students mature into beautiful, thoughtful people, and made friends and colleagues whose influence will never leave me.  I have made the most genuine music; I have laughed the hardest, I have cried the most painful tears. Each of you has left a permanent mark on my soul, and I will carry that for the rest of my life.

However, life takes unexpected twists and turns and we are often left to interpret from the chaos the best path forward. Notice I said best, not easiest. As the school year wrapped up I was offered a position teaching in the Tioga Central School district. As many of you know, I grew up in Tioga Center, I own part of my family farm, and now live 8 minutes from the schools. In a word, it is my home. When the chance to teach in my home district was offered to me I was immediately torn; do I stay in Newfield, where I am established and comfortable, or do I take on this new challenge and bring my music to the community that raised me…to the community where I first learned to be a musician.

The decision came down to family. The opportunity to work in my home district, where my (eventually, someday) children will go to school only comes once in a lifetime. And so I am writing this farewell to you.

I want you to know that I am also heartbroken. Life is made up of moments with people, and those moments take on a life of their own. When the moment ends, as all moments do, we grieve. I am grieving this change, too. But (*insert soapbox life lesson moment*), sometimes you have to make difficult decisions that hurt in short term for the best in the long term.

To the concert choir:

Keep choral singing strong! A choir is only as good as its singers. I implore you to have faith and trust your new director. They will be as, if not more, qualified to bring choral music to you. They will be different—they will bring different approaches, focus on different aspects of singing—that is okay. What an amazing opportunity to get more than one teaching style and choral approach! Do not squander that by playing  “this isn’t how we used to do it” card. Apply the skills and knowledge I have imparted to you and deepen them with new perspective. Make music. Be excellent.

On our last day in choir I brought up the despair, hopelessness, and rage so often felt by young people in these difficult times and how it can lead to self-harm or harming others. I made an offer to you, and that offer still stands, and always will remain open forever. If you ever find yourself in that place—call, text, tweet (@MrMac128), message, email me. Any time of day or night.

Juniors who will graduate next year (2017)
If you need or want a letter of recommendation, please do not hesitate to get in touch; it is not awkward. We have worked together for four years, and I would love to write one for you.

To all of the musicians at Newfield:  I will always cherish in my memory and in my heart the music we made together.

All the best, and good luck!

Go team! (Huzzah!)

Mr. Mac

P.S. you have not seen the last of me (*laughs manically*)

P.P.S.- One more soapbox:

Mr. Mac’s 10 Rules for Success

11 -      Con Fuoco- with force, intensity, vigor. Whatever you do, put 100% into it 100% of the time.

22-      Listen- actively, to everything within ear shot. Listen intently when people talk to you, learn from what you hear.

33-      Remember- every detail. Don’t forget anything.

44-      Decide what you are for, and stand up for it even if it makes you unpopular.

55-      Adjust as Necessary-  Nothing is rock solid in this world. Be willing to change your view, opinion, belief, mind. The only constant in this world is change.

66-      Discipline- Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, no matter how tired, sick, sad, angry, busy, etc., you are.

77-      Visualize- Imagine in detail how you want things to go, and work towards that.

88-      Make lists- Big lists, little lists. In order, or not.

99-      Read- everything you can get your hands on. Books, magazines, scraps of paper, pamphlets…

110-   Family first- they are you and you are them.
   11- COFFEE.