2/365 - Dedicated to KBJ

At lunch today, my daughter was musing about what she wants to be when she grows up... "I want to be a doctor and a nurse and an artist and a teacher and a veterinarian and a vet tech... What does a vet tech actually do? ...Can I be a doctor AND a nurse? ...Or, I know, maybe I can be an art teacher!" The fire of possibility in her eyes was inspiring. It made me wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up?

I suppose it's no coincidence that I might be asking that question when my former college flute professor decides to drop a note on my Facebook page. I also see that she's now following my blog. No pressure, really...

Me & KBJ after my college graduation, June 1991

Truth be told, I've often questioned my decision to pursue a career in music, and I wonder how different my life would be if I had chosen a different path. It's not that I have any regrets now - I don't believe in regrets - but I used to doubt my choice when I was struggling to find my way as a musician. I can look back now, though, and see how the many failures and twists and turns gave me the experience and insight that prepared me for the career I have today. I really owe that career to KBJ, my college flute professor, who over twenty years ago saw some potential in me, an inexperienced and naive flute player from rural Ohio who didn't know all of her major scales and had never heard of an orchestral excerpt. She took me on as a student because she believed in me, and over four years, she laid the foundation for what ultimately became my own artistry, teaching, mentoring, discipline, dedication, decisions... Don't get me started on the "D" words! (Sorry, inside joke between KBJ and her students.)

After lunch today, I told my daughter that no matter what she decides to be, she will very likely always be a teacher too. That's partly because she's the daughter, niece, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of teachers, and it's partly because the sorts of things she's learning - those "D" words in particular that I learned from KBJ - are not just reserved for the classroom or the music studio. They are life lessons that permeate everything she will do and impact everyone she meets.

Once she realizes that, it won't really matter what she chooses to be when she grows up - and that's just as true for her at eight as it is for me at thirty-eight.