"Teachers plant seeds, whether they get to watch them grow or not."
This time of year has a way of stirring up memories like no other, doesn't it?
Lately, I've been thinking of my high school choir teacher, Kristie Call. I transferred to a neighboring high school in 10th grade, and Miss Call was quick to put my eagerness to work. She was thoughtful in the ways she nurtured my singing and my pianism.
It had been a longstanding tradition to end the Winter Choir Concert with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. Miss Call - an accomplished pianist herself - would conduct the iconic work from the piano(!) and often selected one student pianist to play alongside her on a second piano.
(It was a safe way to give them a chance to play something BIG without the risk of de-railing the performance)
Needless to say, my approval-seeking heart was overjoyed when she asked me to join her in playing the Hallelujah Chorus that year.
As rehearsals wore on - Miss Call made the decision to let me play the piano part alone, without her, for the first time in her career.
I was surprised but relished the vote of confidence and made that (beastly!) transcription my life's work for a solid month.
From what I recall, the evening concert went well. The next day, we performed again for the entire school as part of an assembly. After our performance, Miss Call took the microphone specifically to celebrate me for meeting such a challenge.
The rest of the day, I was met with congratulations and genuine support from my teachers and peers.
Looking back, it was actually a pretty formative moment. I'd only been at the school one semester, but it gave me the opportunity to serve, to feel known, and to feel appreciated.
But here's the thing: I'm quite sure my actual playing was a mixed bag. I don't think Miss Call "handed me the reigns" because she knew I would absolutely nail it.
Instead, I believe she saw an opportunity and understood the chance she had to build me up. I think she knew I would play well enough to keep the train on the tracks, even if she would have ultimately done it better herself.
...and that, friends, is the TeacherHeart at its absolute best. Choosing people over perfection.
We got a new choir teacher my senior year of high school, and the Hallelujah Chorus tradition ended. But for two years of my teenage existence, I got to own this identity as THE PIANIST for the Hallelujah Chorus.
It seems so silly to the adult perspective, but as a young musician, that was an immensely empowering thing.
I lost touch with Miss Call after she left, so I have no idea where life has taken her in the last 25 years... just as she has no idea where it has taken me.
But I sit here this morning feeling overcome with gratitude for this teacher who chose the inconvenient... who took the gamble... who settled for less-than-perfect because she recognized the potential for life-changing good.
I'm sure there were cringe-worthy moments in rehearsals. I'm sure I wasn't flawless in performance.
...but I was a young person who felt supported. I knew my teacher believed in me. I felt celebrated by my peers. I caught a glimpse of the potential within me to make meaningful musical contributions to the world.
Now, here I am today, trying my best to pass that same gift on to students (and teachers!) on a daily basis.
Life is incredible, isn't it?
🥂 Cheers to people like Kristie Call who choose to invest in PEOPLE over PERFECTION. May we never lose sight of the real power of our Teacher Work. 🥂
Do YOU have a favorite Teacher Memory from this time of year? If so, I'd LOVE to hear it! HIT REPLY and let me know what musical memories you treasure from this season.
Please know: I read every response, even though I might be slow at replying.💜