And I get to do it again on Nov. 11&12. This time, I'm playing assistant to Jeff on a movie pops concert. Yay!
On a different topic, I've found myself lately really trying hard to sort out some thoughts. I have mentioned before that my life's dream has always been to be famous...to be recognized, to be popular, etc. It's a selfish quality, I know...and not a great one, perhaps. As a teacher, I feel like I have some local fame, since I have so many great students and they've been so supportive of me and good to me. I have kind of let it get to my head a little bit, in my eyes, and I feel like I need to stop it. I've been telling myself to always remain humble, and to never forget that it's all about them. A good teacher makes everything about their students. They don't care about fame or popularity or recognition. They welcome it, of course, but it's not a priority to them. What's best for their students is what matters most. The success of their students is what matters most. And I have to remember that.
It's been challenging for me, and I'm glad I'm facing these internal challenges, so that I can learn to overcome them. One of my fantastic long-time students who plays trumpet is going to start taking lessons from a professional trumpet player they recently met, in addition to taking lessons with me still. I've told myself that it's okay for students to seek out other teachers, because one teach can't teach them everything, and I'm not a trumpet player. Since I care about my students, I want what's best for them, and getting some help from an actual trumpet teacher is definitely going to benefit this student. Always remember, as a teacher, it's all about them, no matter what.
Take care and value music.