I love all the many gigs I have: composer, arranger, director, conductor, teacher, mentor, consortium manager, producer, assistant, strategic planner, etc.
The best gig I have is father.
Done right, as I try to do and as my father did for me, it is the opportunity of a lifetime to teach, guide, mentor, and nudge future adults into finding and becoming their best selves. It’s something I get to do in many of my other gigs, too, but not with the specificity, the daily challenge, or the level of reward.
I love all my gigs. Dad is my favorite. And as I have practiced more as a father, I’ve tried to bring more of that into my work in my other gigs. Just as in my parenting, I’m not trying to convince anyone to share my viewpoints on any issues or to push them in the direction I want them to go. I’m using every tool in my toolbox to elicit the best from all the people I work with, teach, and guide. That’s parenting in a nutshell to me, and I love it.