My wife, Mandy, is a brilliant conductor. She regularly makes magic happen in concert and in rehearsal. She has wonderful musical instincts, impeccable training, and makes visual poetry with her conducting.
But even as she makes the music come alive, she puts the people first. In the course of her career, she has made more and more of her mission to help the choristers in her care to be true to themselves, and to express their truth through the music together. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, and endlessly inspiring.
This past year has been, for every teacher I know, harder than any three years put together. And a part of that has been that every person – every adult, every student – has been extra broken. Extra in need of emotional and mental care.
Mandy has been no exception – no one has. It’s been hard. But she’s responded as she always does, by putting people first. I’ve watched her students find a respite from their fears and anxieties in her classroom this year. The music has been back burner (though still remarkable) as she has been a first responder to the emotional need of her students.
Thank you, Mandy, for showing what it really looks like to deeply care for your students.