Want stable success? Craft a three-legged stool.
A three-legged stool is stable because of its geometry – no matter what terrain it encounters, all three legs can be firmly on the ground.
The three-legged stool of successful choral teaching, in my experience, has these three legs.
- Mastery of the craft – conducting, repertoire, rehearsal strategies, ears, piano skills, classroom management, etc. Everything from choral methods and four years of undergrad, plus more.
- Deep, sincere love for connecting to students through music. You have to love the ages and stages of the students you’re teaching, and you have to love the back-and-forth, up-and-down relationships you build with your students.
- Profound personal connections with fellow travelers. You need a community of other choral educators who are following a similar trail to yours. It’s essential for the good days and the bad to have people who understand the journey you’re on.
I’ve learned about this three-legged stool from a master craftswoman, my wife Mandy. You can read her speech here from when she was elected Teacher of the Year. And what has she used her three-legged stool to support? Her deep and abiding love for her family and friends. How lucky are we all.