There was this man who, many years ago, worked for a large business. That was his lifetime employment, but he wasn’t happy there. He wanted to go into business for himself. He saved his money and finally had enough that he could quit and start his own business.

About two years later, I was on vacation and was going through the town where his business was located. I stopped by for a visit. “Hey, John, I heard that the first year is the hardest for a new business.”

“Yeah, the first year was pretty rough, but we’re doing pretty good now. In fact, I’m getting to where I only have to work half a day.”

“Wow, that’s pretty nice. Maybe I should think about going into business for myself.”

“Yeah, and the nicest part of it is that it doesn’t matter which 12 hours you work.”

There’s definitely plenty of room for improvement (feel free to leave specific tips or suggestions – like how to do a better job of equalizing the audio when it is being recorded in increments…), but overall I think they did a great job putting it together in a relatively short amount of time. (For those interested, I’ve included more detail about how we did this and what equipment we used here.)

Rooted in the Greek philosophies of such men as Plato and Aristotle, the dichotomy between the “sacred” and the “secular” has had a profound influence on the way we view and live our lives. Though the term “Sunday Christian” sounds trite, many of us would be hard-pressed to convey how we have infused our “secular” jobs or businesses with a distinctly Christian philosophy and approach. We seek to let our actions “speak for themselves” as we hide behind our Christian smile and refrain from boldly proclaiming the glory and Lordship of God out of some misplaced fear of offending another or suffering rejection. But what good is it to live a life of godliness while by our very silence denying the power thereof?¹ I know that I am guilty of this cowardly behavior more than I care to admit.

In light of these thoughts, I recently sent the following response to an inquiry containing the afore-mentioned line of questioning:

Thanks for visiting my site – I’m glad you like it! In answer to your question, I believe that one of the biggest advantages of running my own business is that I can do so according to my own philosophies and beliefs. Indeed, none of us can escape the fact that our belief system will influence the way we teach, the way we run our businesses, the way we live in general. I don’t want there to be any question in anyone’s mind as to what my beliefs are and how they are influencing my teaching. This way parents can make a decision based on that information and in light of what kind of a teacher they want for their child.

I have sent my policy (or referred to my website to view it there) countless prospective students over the years. There are those who never pursue lessons with me beyond that; there was one who called back and said that due to her religious beliefs she was uncomfortable with me as a teacher; there have been many others (Christian and non-Christian alike, though I would say a majority of my students have been Christian) who have been excited to pursue lessons with me because of my philosophies and teaching style. And this is exactly what the function of a studio policy should be – a tool to help people understand our expectations, philosophies, etc. before committing to study with us. There are many teachers of varying beliefs and teaching styles giving lessons, so if someone doesn’t agree with one, they can look for another – a great blessing of living in a free market economy!

Unfortunately, there are numerous instances now (other teaching situations included) where people are suppressed in the free practice of their religion, however, in our independent music studios that is not the case. As long as I have the freedom to do so, I will use the outlets I have to seek to glorify God and make Him known to others. That is the motivation behind my teaching and my business practices.

It is my prayer that for as long as the Lord calls me to teach and to run my business that He would show me how I can most effectively make His name known through it.

Sing unto the LORD, bless his name, shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 96:2-4

¹see 2 Timothy 3:5

While visiting my dear friend, Myklin, and her husband, Travis, we got to discussing some of the politics of the state. Travis informed me that everyone around there is pro-death penalty, so if a candidate hopes to be elected, he has to include support for such in his platform. I couldn’t tell for sure whether Travis personally preferred the tree hanging method or the tar and feather method for convicted criminals…

After a delightful time with Travis and Myklin, I made my way to Eric and Rachel’s house and stayed a night with them. In the course of our conversation, I learned that Texas has no income tax, no sales tax on groceries, and no statewide property tax. However, there is an interesting situation unfolding in the state right now. From what I gathered, a decision has just been handed down from their Supreme Court, indicating that the excessive property taxing of counties across the entire state is in violation of the constitutional prohibition of such statewide taxing. These property taxes are used to support the local schools, so now the legislators must meet in a special session (otherwise, they only convene every two years, in odd numbered years) to discuss how the schools will continue to receive their funding. I’m sure they’ll just go ahead and cut back the taxes and reduce the school funding since it’s common knowledge that student achievement is not linked to the amount of funding schools receive anyway…

Eric and Rachel and I spent a day traveling to Austin and visiting the Texas State History Museum, which was very informative. Museums are so overwhelming, though. We attempted to explore and absorb three floors full of artifacts and displays documenting the history of Texas and many other aspects of life in the Lonestar state. One highlight was the Star of Destiny theater presentation, accompanied by all sorts of special effects that extracted screams from audience members on more than one occasion. I highly recommend it!

We parted ways with Eric as we left the museum and Rachel and I headed to the home of Jeremy and Carrie (and Reagan), our gracious hosts for the remainder of the week while we attended the MTNA National Conference. (I noticed a marked progression in my travels at this point: newly married couple – newly married couple expecting their first child in four months – newly married couple with their first child…it was interesting to observe each couple and catch a glimpse into their lives!) Carrie is an amazing cook and we were so blessed by the sacrifices they made to accommodate us for the duration of the conference.

The conference was a wonderful time of attending sessions and concerts, catching up with old friends, meeting new people and browsing the many exhibits, gleaning insight and ideas from the wealth of knowledge and experience represented in the thousand-plus attendees at the conference. Here are a few picture highlights from the week:

The opening keynote address by the renowned pianist, Van Cliburn. (You can view a more extensive summary of his address that I wrote on Music Matters Blog.)

Amanda and I went through Suzuki training together several years ago in Chicago. We were excited to run into each other one afternoon in the Exhibit Hall.

We took a trip to the state Capitol building, which I learned is larger than the US Capitol building. Didn’t I hear something somewhere about things being bigger in Texas…?

A small group of us who know each other through a piano teacher’s e-mail group met up for a quick tour of downtown, guided by our very knowledgeable driver, Diane.

Rachel and I discovered the most incredible grocery store ever! (Someone really needs to open one of these in Wichita…) Jeremy and Carrie had told us about it, and we were awestruck as we explored the aisles and sampled the tasty goods. All around the perimeter of the store were stand alone island restaurants, surrounded by small round tables, presenting the fare offered in that particular part of the store. There was an incredible variety – from seafood to barbecue to Italian to Indian, there was something for everyone and way too much for anyone! We had the hardest time trying to decide what to eat when we went there for dinner one night.

A shot of one of the little island restaurants and surrounding tables for diners.

A huge assortment of loose teas could be smelled and a pot of one was available for sampling.

Chocolate anyone?

Or perhaps something from this selection of delicacies?

I didn’t even know there were this many kinds of cheese!

Pizza baked in a woodburning fireplace. Yum!

Creatively displayed gelato. This was our final stop on the way out. The man behind the counter saw me snap this shot and informed me that no pictures were allowed to be taken in the store. Oops…

The final night of the conference we attended a live broadcast of the radio show From the Top, a program produced to showcase some of the many talented young musicians from across America. Each of the five young performers did an outstanding job and it was fun to watch them interact with Christoper O’Riley, the host of the show, as he interviewed them and helped draw out their personalities. The show we observed is scheduled to air sometime in September.

As I crossed the border on my return home, I left behind me the star-studded streets, but carried with me the memories of wonderful times with friends and the resolve to apply the things I learned to become a better teacher and to encourage my students to pursue their music studies with excellence.

Several years ago I became aware of the potential for music teachers to become certified through MTNA. Desiring to be the best teacher possible for my students, I began my pursuit toward this end. For a variety of reasons, I chose not to go the traditional route of earning a degree in music to qualify for this certification. Instead, I continued my piano studies privately with Dr. Sylvia Coats, a Professor at a local university. Through her guidance and instruction, I met the necessary performance requirements to enable me to send in my initial application.

The next step of the Certification process required the teacher to demonstrate that “they have substantial knowledge of music theory, music history/literature, and pedagogy/teacher education.” In the absence of college transcripts, I was permitted to clep out of the equivalent by taking three tests last fall corresponding to each of the above areas. Having passed those, I was ready for the final step: submission of a portfolio documenting my Professional Teaching Practices, Professional Business Management, and Professionalism and Partnerships. After many hours of work, the portfolio was completed and mailed in at the beginning of March.

Through this extensive process, I have seen God provide in some amazing ways. For example, early last fall I was prepared to send in my application, but realized that I didn’t have the amount of money necessary to do so (the fee for sending in the application and requesting clep tests was pretty significant). I could have saved enough from my teaching income to provide the necessary amount by the end of the year, but this would have delayed the commencement of the whole process until after the first of this year. I prayed fervently that somehow the Lord would provide the money necessary so that I could get everything sent in and be able to take the tests before the end of the year. Amazingly, that month, one of the families who take lessons from me decided to pay for the entire semester of lessons up front, rather than monthly. They had never done this before and seemed to have randomly decided to do so at this time. The total amount was exactly what I needed in order to send in all of my application materials! I was thrilled to be able to share with them how the Lord had used their “random” decision to answer my prayer!

Certification renewal takes place every five years, and in the interim I must continue to document my adherence to the standards set forth by MTNA by accumulating points for the prescribed activities and professional involvement. Regardless of how long the Lord directs me to continue teaching, I am confident that the things I have learned in the process of working toward certification, and will continue to learn in order to maintain my certification, will prove valuable in many ways. I am so grateful for the investment of numerous people in my life who have made this possible, specifically, my parents, who first directed my music studies and have graciously allowed their home to double as my studio, my teacher and mentor, Sylvia Coats, and the students I have the privilege of teaching on a daily basis, who are a continual inspiration to me.

“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

Proverbs 10:22

Following was a breathtaking performance of the Barber Adagio for Strings. I think the whole audience was taken aback – we could barely issue an applause for fear that the moment would be broken. In striking contrast, the stage next gave way to a trio of percussionists to perform Russell Peck’s The Glory and the Grandeur Concerto for Percussion Trio and Orchestra. If the Adagio was breathtaking, this one left us breathless! From the quick maneuvering required at times to the stunning display of virtuosity on the multitude of instruments, these guys were fantastic! Jynae and Lisa and I commented during the intermission that followed that we wished they would come out and play it again.

The Wichita Symphony Chorus joined the Orchestra on stage after the intermission for a performance of
Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. I had never heard of these before tonight. It’s a collection of Psalms, set to music and sung in Hebrew. A young boy sang the soprano aria in the second movement. He did a pretty good job, but I am anxious to find a recording of this set and listen to it again. It was beautiful and dramatic at varying times, depicting the emotions the psalmist communicated through his words.

The program concluded with Aaron Copland’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes. Full of energy and humor – well portrayed by the various instrumentalists, often with little smirks on their faces.
The Orchestra surprised us with a dynamite performance of John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. What a grand evening! What a wonderful blessing to have such fine music so readily available to us. If you haven’t done so recently, you should attend a classical concert in your area. Surely it will enliven your spirit and refresh your soul!

I used Word Press to build the blog and am using Blue Host for my hosting. I must say, of the three hosting companies I’ve used, I am most impressed with this one. The price is very reasonable, the service has been great so far, and the control panel capabilities are more generous and extensive than any of the others I’ve used.

Any feedback or suggestions for Music Matters Blog are most appreciated!

After a few moments of introductions and set-up, Michele and Chad and I were ready to begin recording the song I wrote for my sister and her fiance. Since they are having an out-of-town wedding and couldn’t afford to transport Chad and Michele to sing live, we decided to do a professional recording of the song with a friend of theirs who operates a recording studio. This was my first such experience and as I sat down at the impressive instrument before me, I was glad for the time I’d spent this past week trying to perfect those fast sixteenth note passages.

I felt very professional as I donned the high-dollar head phones that transmitted the voices from the other room with crystal clarity and could have deceived me into thinking they were coming from right behind me. At the signal, we were off in our own little world, recording, playing back, listening intensely, redoing, cutting in, cutting out, playing back again. Finally, we were satisfied. After some additional playback, listening, tweaking, mixing and burning, I held in my hands a shimmering CD, emblazoned with the title, One Heart.

Four hours after we arrived, we found ourselves eyeing once more the deceptively unimpressive exterior of the little studio. But now we knew the secrets it held within. I breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Mission Accomplished.

Click here to listen to the song, One Heart. The words are taken directly from Jeremiah 32:38-41.