Mysteries and Responsibility, Pt. I

When I saw the young lady, I recognized her but could not quite place the exact location or chronology. She was tall, confident, friendly, and exuded a warm, humble personality that could not hide a desire for excellence. As I studied her, I was almost certain that I had taught her some horn lessons many years before in some location many miles away. She smiled a friendly smile and introduced herself, reminding me that I had indeed helped her a few times when she was a young college student and I was completing my advanced degree. As we conversed and I asked her what she was doing, she humbly with a touch of awe mentioned she played 3rd Horn in the New York Philharmonic. Her awe, however, was minuscule compared to mine as I stared at this amazing horn player who had actually arrived, arrived at the ultimate goal--the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

A position in the New York Philharmonic is likened to playing professional level sports or being chief surgeon or a partner in a large firm or any number of professional level positions. What she is now doing is the dream of thousands of young musicians across the country. As though to reiterate the truth, on New Year's Eve, I watched her in the orchestra as they performed a nationally televised special to bring in the new year. It was thrilling for me to watch someone for whom I had a very small part in her success as a musician. She later wrote me and thanked me for the time spent with her and the helpful horn playing suggestions, further solidifying my role in her career.

I do recall those couple of lessons where she asked me about high range development, embouchure usage, and some phrasing techniques. She was obviously driven to succeed and was willing to work diligently and to ask lots of questions in her quest to achieve her goals. What if I had been too busy to help her? Or what if I had misguided her in some way by making a wrong suggestion? Would it have changed anything? There is no way to know. Yet to think that I actually helped her reach her dreams reminds me of the awesome responsibility that a teacher carries with him in the classroom, the workplace, and yes, frighteningly so, in everyday life.

In teaching, it is often a mystery as to whether the student is truly learning or gaining from the offering. The mystery often remains cloudy for years with clarity shining forth when a former student walks up and says "thank you" or "you made a difference in my life" or "I remember when...." Time is kind to most teachers and time often dictates and forms the final product--a successful adult. This and this alone makes teaching a lifelong endeavor with vast, sometimes mysterious, and definitely far-ranging influence.

But is the responsibility less for a college professor or greater? I will attempt to address this next time.