I have to preface this post saying that this is not meant to offend anyone. I truly, honestly am not thinking of anyone personally and the intentions of this are not to belittle the efforts of music directors in the area. It is merely to create pondering and discussion.

A good majority of music teachers are full of crap. Fantastic way to open a perhaps very generalized post from a 22 year old who can barely make his way through college without a music ed degree, huh? But this has been something I've been thinking about an incredible amount the past few months. I think it's part of the reason why the Nebraska area struggles to keep up with the rest of the country in terms of music education.

Music is special. You and I have both heard it umpteen times from friends, teachers, parents and the like. It expresses feelings that words can't, blah blah blah, etc. Even while hastily poking fun at such cliches, I myself think music is very different than normal occupations. However, this is why schools often come up short. They place music on this unreachable pedestal that can only be obtained by being blessed by God with insane gifts of musicianship. While again, I myself still think that certain people are naturally talented when it comes to music, it becomes an issue when it's time to teach students.

Natural talent is not required to be successful in music. Just as an accountant doesn't necessarily need natural talent in accounting. However, most music educators believe that you do need a certain amount of natural talent in order to be considered successful. We will never EVER say it, but the actions and attitudes of ours reflect otherwise. What's a shame about thoughts like this is that it leads to an apathetic attitude when it comes to educating certain students. "Oh, well Billy isn't going to do anything in music so I shouldn't have to try as hard to help him achieve things musically." Again, none of us will ever say it, but we have those thoughts going on the back of our head.

How do I know that? I used to have those same thoughts. I use to think I was different and special compared to my high school peers. There was absolutely no reason for it. I wasn't practicing a significant amount more; I wasn't being told how amazing I was. But I remember thinking and it really came apparent to me when I began teaching that I often wrote off students of mine because I didn't think they could do as well as me. I was on an level unattainable to most. Which obviously is an utterly ridiculous thought.

The danger of that is you sell students short of their education and ultimately their potential as a musician and as a person. Believing that you're special, that you're different and gifted leads to entitlement. Since you're so good you deserve this, and this, and that. When the reality is, you don't.

Thankfully, I've been able to turn around my thinking. Instead of being apathetic, I believe my students can do great things. "Can't" is not allowed in my rehearsals. Whenever I talk and ask them what they want to do with their lives, even when I get very high and lofty goals I never tell them they can't do it or discourage them from doing so. Who am I, some average snare drummer from small town Nebraska, to tell them otherwise?

Work trumps talent. It breaks my heart to see kids being told, whether directly or indirectly, that they cannot do something. That they are not good enough. One of the best life lessons I failed to learn in high school was to go for things. If you want something, go get it. If you want to be an incredible clarinetist, DO IT. Sure, it'll take an unfathomed amount of time and energy to do so, but there's zero reason why you can't do that.

I know I've got PLENTY of stuff to work on as a teacher and I'll be the first to admit it. But I know that the day I begin thinking my students aren't good enough to achieve on the highest level is the day I need to stop trying to form young minds.

Let's cut the shit and start teaching students to be great.