Today was of course, one of those days. Meaning, I am at a loss due to the amount of responsibility that was thrown at me like a sandwich (inside joke, don’t ask). But I digress so, let me start over. I gave a lesson to a certain student – I will call her L. She’s 14 and an absolute beginner so I thought I would be showing her chords, shapes, strumming, simple fingerpicking, etc. Well damn. She crushed that in no time then opened her mouth to sing. What had I got myself in to? I was stunned by her tone and felt I could not mail this one in. Good Lord – what a natural! But a serious, self critic. I realized that I had a responsibility to not only teach notes and technique, but to instill belief. How am I to do that?

I drove away from that lesson wondering what the hell happened? It took me a few hours to figure out exactly what was simmering in me. And then it became clear; I feel I have a great opportunity to shape this person in to an amazing musician. I mean, she has amazing tone, pitch, and understanding without really, any practical musical knowledge except for her own idea of it. I don’t want to change that. This what we all come back to after learning all the techniques and theory anyway.

So not only am I teaching her, she is inadvertently teaching me as well. Teaching me to figure out the perfect way to teach her back. And to remember – that music is not only about notes, but more so about that ephemeral, unexplainable talent that some possess. These are the lucky ones. And I am very clear on the thought that all it takes is one good teacher, or one bad teacher to change their progress. Yes, that responsibility will not be taken lightly. Duly noted and humbled.