“Life is long.”<\/p>\n
Using these three simple but impactful words of poet T.S. Eliot, Rachel Rensink-Hoff hoped to inspire Brock’s graduating class to reflect on their experiences and take in the world around them.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive yourself permission to dwell in the length of life, and do this by resisting pressures, graduates, to take shortcuts, to give up, to make hurried choices or choose the path of least resistance,\u201d the Associate Professor of Music said during her Convocation address on Friday, June 14. \u201cInstead, relish in surprising connections. Enjoy the subtle shades of colour and the interesting shapes around you. Take the time to observe every single little detail.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is an idea that has been important to her life and work, she told graduates from the Faculties of Humanities and Mathematics and Science.<\/p>\n
Rensink-Hoff received the Faculty of Humanities\u2019 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition for her dedication to supporting students on their academic and creative paths.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the honour before Brock\u2019s Convocation celebrations, she said the most rewarding thing about teaching music is when students let go of their inhibitions and take risks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an energy that fills a room when one student, then two, then more, dare to try new things \u2014 it has an inspiring ripple effect. I feel I\u2019ve done my part as an educator and conductor if I\u2019ve made space for this to happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The biggest source of joy for Rensink-Hoff is when students take ownership of the creative process.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn rehearsal or the classroom, teaching and learning depends on the willingness of students to encourage and mentor one another. When this happens naturally, then I know I\u2019ve done my job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At the core of Rensink-Hoff\u2019s teaching philosophy is a commitment to educating the whole person, seeking to accommodate the diversity of musical experience and motivation among those she teaches.<\/p>\n
This helps her develop an approach to teaching that is both inclusive and rigorous, striving to help all students and singers to discover their full potential regardless of their musical background or ability.<\/p>\n
How people learn music, the kind of music they interact with and the advancement of digital forms of music creation translate into a wide range of musical skills and identities shaped by one\u2019s exposure to music, family and social influences, and cultural environments, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prospective music student of the 21st century looks very different than was historically deemed \u2018suitable\u2019 or \u00a0\u2018eligible\u2019 for a music degree program,\u201d she said. \u201cAs music educators, it is incumbent upon us to diversify approaches and the musical content we interact with, all with the goal of better representing the incredibly rich and diverse tapestry of global music traditions beyond the historically favoured Western canon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her research and creative work focuses on three elements of well-being: being, belonging and becoming. Through these lenses, she explores how engagement with music supports all aspects of humanity from the physical to the social to the psychological and spiritual.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI feel strongly about the profound impact that group singing and musical skill development can have on one\u2019s health and sense of well-being across the lifespan,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Life is long.” Using these three simple but impactful words of poet T.S. Eliot, Rachel Rensink-Hoff hoped to inspire Brock’s graduating class to reflect on their experiences and take in the world around them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":93918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119,37,1],"tags":[156,549,10220,2518,5982,1759,13608],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93890"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93890"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93957,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93890\/revisions\/93957"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}