Former students

     I think I have included some mention of this in previous postings.  The other night, I was invited to play the keyboard / organ at a church, with a former student vocalist:  Anne M.; it was a memorial mass.  Way back in the early 2000’s, she would hire me on many occasions to accompany her at wedding performances at the church.  Much time has passed since we worked together.  It was nice to see her and she sings beautifully.  This particularly memorial mass came from the church recommendation at St. Paschal, and the client contacted me to work-out the details.  I then contacted Anne to invite her to sing.  Actually, Anne recommended me to the church I have been playing regularly for the past 20 years!  Sunday mass and additional celebrations, depending on the season, for example:  Easter, which requires additional masses.  When I started at the church, Saint Clare of Assisi, it was in an elementary school.

     This particular experience reminds me of the many opportunities performing with a variety of former students.  These former students have moved on to develop great careers for themselves.  I cannot remember how many different students have contacted me to perform together; perform for their family celebrations; and more.

     Currently, I am working with a former student who has invited me to perform at real estate presentations.  She is a realtor and an accomplished pianist.  In school, she explored the clarinet as a member of the concert band.  

     I am proud to have played a role in their musical lives.  I am honoured that they contact me and invite me to perform with them.  A number of vocalists, and a number of instrumentalists.  I suppose the former students have become a part of my network.  It’s nice to know that they trust & value my artistic contributions.  When I started teaching, I never thought about future opportunities with former students.  

     Recently, I have contacted my network of former students who are practicing teachers, to ask them to consider inviting me to perform a virtual concert to their classes at school. Rather than contacting the individual schools, my connection with a former student (teacher) may help me to arrange this project with success - there is a better chance that something fruitful will come from this project idea.  

     This posting is showing once again the connection between my music artistic performance career and my teaching career - how the two work so well together.  It reminds me of that scene from “Amadeus” film, where Mozart’s father asked his son:  do you have pupils?  The young Mozart was a performer, and a composer, but he was encouraged by the father to also have pupils.