TMEA--Touching Lives

My recent trip to San Antonio was revealing and special in many different ways. This amazing convention affords musicians an unusual opportunity to experience music education in the broadest sense of term. In a narrow view, music education refers to the process of educating children in music from an early age to adulthood. It usually includes specific methodologies and is often separated at some point into either vocal or instrumental music education. But in a broader sense, music education refers to all music endeavors for all ages including performing, listening, learning, moving, and creating. Texas Music Educator's Association convention is a golden opportunity for all types of music education from sophisticated and advanced performance to elementary music methodology.

There is something for everyone. Even the uneducated musician can find great aesthetic pleasure in the many great performances and concerts. For the music teacher, the convention is a gold mine of information including exhibits representing the finest music businesses throughout the country. For me, as a consummate and infatuated musician and lover of all types of music, it is a rich opportunity to ingest as much musical experiences as possible. The abundance of band, choral, jazz, elementary, church, classical, and popular music gives the musician an infinite supply of musical energy and inspiration that can be applied both individually and collectively. Regardless of whether the attendee is looking for jewelry or t-shirts for his ensemble or seeking for academic information on Mahler Symphonies or looking for children's games, it can all be found in this marvelous institution known as TMEA.

But my recent TMEA trip was not really about the music. I found the concerts to be gloriously uplifting and the opportunity to purchase new music and Cd's to be thorough and exciting, but what meant the most to me was the people. Seeing the friends and acquaintances from my eclectic musical career touched me more than any musical experience I have had. Friends with whom I have performed on recitals and in orchestra concerts, teachers I have judged with, directors for whom I have done clinics or composed music, alumni from my institution, my former horn teachers and theory teachers, and most importantly my own former students. Four former students currently teaching in schools throughout Texas made special effort to find me and thank me. They mentioned the inspiration I provided, the effort I demanded from them, and the encouragement I never stopped giving.

I was moved by their gratitude and touched by their intensity and need to say thank you. The tears welled up in me as I saw their sincerity and reflected on their own successes. I realized then and now that teaching and being a musician is about expression, communication, and about the people. What I ineffectively tried to explain to these particular students and what I want to tell all my students is that being a teacher is being a student. For to teach is to learn and it is from my students that I have learned the most.

Can a student vivify the ability of a teacher to the point of satiety and ultimately force the instructor to embrace a conspectus of musical knowledge? The answer is of course unequivocally yes. Due to the complex process of learning, a successful teacher can not maunder nor dissimulate in imparting of knowledge. To do so is to fail. The remarkable and often times overwhelming responsibility that a teacher has to help students learn is only recognized when we discover the tractable personalities of our students. They are malleable and woe to the teacher who molds them wrongly.

We teach and we learn and we touch lives in a multitude of ways. To my students I say thank you. You have taught me to love my life as a music educator and you have made the positive memories last. It is you to whom I owe my successes not vice verse. My gratitude goes to you; and thank you to TMEA for providing those opportunities for a deeper examination of why we do what we do. I will continue to learn and to grow as a musician. This will happen because I have students. My life is enriched by my students. I, the teacher, am the student and I would not want it any other way.

Moderation is the Key

Aristotle said, "The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom." Although this quote and general Aristotelian thought usually leads us eagerly into a discourse on ethics, in my case, I must focus on the wisdom, for in my efforts to be thorough, I recently caused my own near demise. Forgive the rather personal approach in this blog as I recount my experiences that led to a rather dangerous conclusion. I write this not to seek pity (for pity should only be offered to those undeserving) nor to make anyone worried (for to worry is to imply something can be fixed), but rather to influence or even prevent someone from making a similar mistake. Like many things, experience is the best teacher and life's lessons, while difficult, are often the most profound. But since only a man of deficient character would wish a difficult life lesson on another human being, I seek, instead to thwart and impede the stupidity of anyone of like personality and practice.

As background to my story, I must admit to certain personality characteristics that may provide insight into the subsequent events that could have ultimately led to my end. Although I am aware of this trait and supposedly admitting you have a problem is the first step toward the cure, I somehow continually conduct myself in such a manner as to seem totally oblivious to its inherent challenges. That is the tendency to take things to an extreme. This trait has served me well on many occasions and provided me with knowledge and insights into a wide variety of topics in addition to giving me a myriad of skills perhaps unusual for someone of my limited aptitude.

Here are but a few examples: I have read every book written by John D. MacDonald, Louis L'Amour, John Steinbeck, C.S. Lewis, James Michener, and David Morrell in addition to a host of other writers. When I became interested in the music of George Gershwin I purchased every CD, read every biography, and bought every piece of music I could find by Gershwin. After becoming fascinated with Claude Bolling, I proceeded to purchase 25 Cd's of his performances and ultimately received a signed photograph from him. I own the complete works of many well-known composers and continually search for new music interests in which to immerse myself. I am currently attempting to read Benjamin Franklin's complete works and every biography I can find on Franklin. I recall becoming interested in a computer game called Jezzball, several weeks later after many hours, I had completely conquered the game and haven't play it since! This pattern of total immersion and extremism has continued with many positive benefits but also with potentially dangerous consequences.

Our country is in a new growth market--products for cleansing and detoxifying. Getting rid of unwanted bacteria and parasites along with keeping oneself regular through fiber and various cleansers has become a major economic industry today. Like many ideas, there is certainly some merit to staying regular and taking cleansing medication. The digestive tract including the colon often does contain unwanted germs that require passing through. The colon, however, also contains desired bacteria used to breakdown food properly and go to war with germs that can harm the body. The digestive and urinary system is a well-designed machine that operates with high efficiency in even the most challenging situations. While it does occasionally need a little help with additional fiber and proper eating habits, it remains one of the most ingenious natural inventions that resides within the human body.

Yet aggressive marketing techniques and health food stores have made colon cleansing the modern way to "fix" your problems. While some of this over the counter medication has gained approval, much of it has not. The process of approving medication may be cumbersome but it does require rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness. The Federal Drug Administration is certainly not without flaws but its unyielding commitment to the highest standards of drug quality must be respected. Yet much of the cleansing medicines available to the general public are without warnings and without safeguards and without any kind of FDA approval.

We all desire to do the right thing and the best thing for our bodies, and so, unfortunately, in my efforts to be clean and thorough, I spent several months taking colon pills. As the walls of the colon weakened, and the good bacteria disappeared, the bad stuff moved in. What began as discomfort ended up being a very serious bacterial infection resistant to most common antibiotics.

Thankfully, God has given many people a brain and the skill to become doctors. I was put under proper care, administered an injection, and took a heavy dose of the proper antibiotics and am now cured. Never has the statement been more true, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger"--Nietzsche. The dangerous path I elected to follow, although well-intentioned, was walked on with great foolishness. May I gain wisdom and moderation in my quest for excellence and may others learn from my mistakes. I am glad to be alive.