Teaching Year in Review

It's been an exciting year of teaching music and as it draws to a close, I find myself being so grateful that this is my vocation. I get paid to do a job that I love so deeply.

As part of Iowa BlueZones Project, I participate in an online Daily Health Challenge. Recently the challenge was to "Write down 2 key characteristics of your ideal job or volunteer work" Here are some excerpts from my post:

"I am working my ideal job right now! 1) Teaching music 2) Creating and performing music."

"Music is my life's work whether volunteering or teaching! I feel so fortunate and am truly grateful to God."

"Music is the language of the heart (my motto printed on my business cards) ..."

"Members of the American Indian Culture Club at our University [I'm the advisor] are having a sacred fire ceremony as part of a city wide EcoFair. We will extinguish the fire at dawn tomorrow morning. Boy is it a lot of work to keep wood gathered for that fire! I don't know how my grandparents did it." 

"[The] Drumming is awesome as is the flute playing. We are having a wonderful weekend."

"Truly all of my music comes from God because it is inspiration from the Absolute and I am so humbly grateful for anything that comes to me."

Suffice it to say, I'm having a great time!

My students give me inspiration daily whether in private lessons, ensembles or the classroom. I find that often if I am open, I learn from them...not necessarily knowledge of the subject (although sometimes that is the case too) but rather life lessons. Embrace your passion and do it. Love what you have and give it away to keep it. 

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said "Music raises life to Unity Consciousness, in which every boundary breathes the melody of the unbounded"

I can't think of a anything more inspiring to pursue than something that raises life to that level!