I am a white, apparently cis woman of from middle/upper-middle class background attending university as an international student. Yet seemingly in spite of these few labels, I am neither oblivious nor closed-minded to varying perspectives and experiences. I was raised in a socially conscientious home with outlets for my varied interests thanks to our comfortable situation. I am not a parent to my student, despite loco parentis status while under my charge. But I want to make them feel as comfortable and free as my parents encouraged me to be. Embedded within the Standards is a sense of community learning, enlisting the village to raise the child. There are unions and groups and overseeing bodies in place to protect all parties involved in the education process, though it can sometimes be hard to tease apart their use beyond politics inherent in a governing body. Nonetheless, they, plus any other clubs or organizations with which we choose to align ourselves can serve use by acting as an aggregate of resources, a fount of networks for insight, opinions, research opportunities.

With all of this in mind, it is my job as a music teacher to create a semi-serious outlet for my students. I am here to convey my interpretations of music based on my accumulated knowledge of the score and context in which it was written. Yet my job is so much more. Music teachers often become the “trusted adult” you hear about in difficult scenarios; a go-to person when a core subject teacher wants help motivating a student; the only person who validates a student by something other than grades.

Teaching without passion and emotional response is not really feasible, in my line. Moderated, monitored, maybe. By allowing myself to connect a little more emotionally with students, I will be able to fulfill all of my duties as their music teacher. After all, part of why we enjoy the arts is the emotional release it provides.