Wow!
Yesterday afternoon I took a late lunch so I could hear a former piano student (he's also the son of a good friend of mine) sing at the Rotary Music Festival. The last time I heard Calvin perform was about a year ago. At that time he had the sweet clear voice of a 12-year old boy soprano. Not now. Yesterday, as he sang the opening bars of 'Danny Boy', I think I gasped audibly. His sound was deep and rich and complex...and utterly breathtaking. By the time he was half way through the song, tears were streaming down my face. When he finished, I looked to my left where another family friend was sitting. She was quietly sobbing. I looked to my right, where his mom sat. She too was crying. We all looked at one another and burst into laughter. Then we cried some more. And laughed some more. The adjudicator must have thought we'd all completely lost our marbles.
The incident reminded me yet again of what amazing creatures humans are. To have the ability to profoundly touch others like that...how do we do it? It's the most powerful gift we have, and where it comes from is a mystery to me. Yet every single time I experience it, it's a 'wow' moment. Every time it's like it's the first time. And yes, I know this sounds incredible naïve, but I believe that if each one of us regularly took the time to share our own talents and appreciate the talents of others, there would be little room for hatred or anger or resentment or any of those other negatives that prevent us from being the angels that we all are at our cores.
I think this is the essence of why I love to teach piano. Teaching allows me to play a small role in making those 'wow' moments happen. And it counter balances some of the negativity in the world. When you think about it that way, it's a high calling.
I've been debating in my mind whether to take students next year. I think I've just made my decision.
6:32:06 AM 
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