I’m one of those people that’s had a tough time determining my purpose. I’ve always felt pretty strongly that it must have something to do with music, but I’ve gone through many of the stages of being a musician – playing in a band, playing solo, recording other people, recording myself, reviewing/critiquing music, and others – and the only one that sticks, that I miss more than the others, is teaching. I had piano students from the mid-2000’s until around 2014, and the joy I got from teaching people to play (at least, those who actually wanted to learn) was inimitable – nothing else really even came close. Even while jamming with my best friends to my original music, I often felt I was missing something.In my spare daydreaming time (the little I allow myself nowadays, usually between 5:30 and 6:15 AM), I have thought more about ways to teach online lessons, group sessions, or private students than I have of performing my own music or playing in a band.
I have been invited to teach beginner drum lessons and piano lessons to some kids in Tinyhart’s homeschool coop, and I’m going to run with it. Not only is it an opportunity for me to get back into the swing after being away from it for so long, it seems to me there is something special in guiding a young mind who may otherwise not have as many opportunities (homeschools aren’t high schools – there isn’t a 100-student bandroom right down the hall to entice and inspire) toward something so artistic and personal. It’s an open door I’m going to walk through, and hopefully will be holding open for many more people down the road.