What matters most for a teacher?
Excellence matters. Reaching for what’s possible matters. Growing, improving, mastering new skills all matter.
I will never not strive to inspire those things in my students. I will push my students to be better today than yesterday, and to aim even higher tomorrow. I will teach them to care about the details of music and about reaching their potential.
These aren’t what matters most.
Humanity matters most. Empathy, care for others, self-care, service, respect.
If the situation forces to choose a loss of humanity or a loss of excellence, there is no question in my mind: let go of excellence and cling tight to humanity.
Musical ensembles give us a unique opportunity to practice our humanity close up, and to show our priorities every day. But there isn’t a class or subject where we can’t practice the same priorities.