Preparation -- the key to success?

      Last night I dreamed that I was teaching a random group of former students and had not adequately prepared.  I managed to make it through the most of the lesson, until it was time to give homework, only to discover I couldn't find the assignment I had prepared and in my dream, this was a source of huge stress!  I woke up feeling rather anxious and then reminded myself that the students probably would not have been so terribly upset about this predicament.

     The dream seems to indicate that at least subconsciously, I'm aware I have quite a bit of work to do before the academic term begins!  In order to be successful as both a teacher and performer, I need to be well prepared.  Unfortunately, preparation requires planning on my part, and that has never been something I enjoy, so this morning, I started making a to-do list, along with deadlines and a breakdown of tasks.  Since planning an entire undergraduate course from scratch is a daunting task, it helps if I divide up the work into more manageable sections.

         In addition, today I was contemplating some long term goals that have somehow fallen by the wayside and I realized, if I'm going to achieve them, I will have to devote some attention in that direction.

     When I was in grad school, a teacher of mine constantly told us, "success in the music world is really only 20% talent.  The rest is sheer hard work."  He was right -- the people from my class still working in music today are those who always came to rehearsal with every note learned.  This doesn't only apply to music either.  Growing up, I remember watching my brothers prepare for tennis tournaments.  Not only did they train constantly, they also adhered to a proper diet and sleep schedule.  In their spare time, they created strategies or tried to learn about their opponent, just to have an extra edge.  They were determined to win.  

     Keep dreaming big and remember -- preparation really is the key to success! 

Songs of adventure

     Exactly two years ago today, I began a new adventure, uprooting myself from my comfortable North American hometown, to a small city in Northern Europe.  I've encountered culture shock, and am still struggling to communicate in not only one, but two, distinct new languages.  In addition, the practical concerns of relocation, such as necessary paperwork and orientation within a new place, still occasionally threaten to drown me in the dark abyss of despair, even two years later.

     However, the adventurer in me has made a preliminary start on both foreign languages and is accepting all kinds of new personal, vocational and artistic challenges every day.  The greatest blessings have come in the form of a home-cooked meal, accompanied by heart-to-heart talks late into the night, my richly decorated flat courtesy of friends themselves in the midst of relocating, walks by the beach or through the woods, and hours spent singing together in homes and at churches, for weddings, funerals and special events.

     You learn a lot about a group of people through their songs.  Indeed, you learn even more if you are brave enough to sing those songs alongside them -- no matter how imperfect the singing.

     This adventure -- the forest paths, the roads not taken -- have been illuminated by another voice, sometimes whispering softly in my heart, other times singing along with me at unison or in harmony... the voice of my heavenly Father, which has led me every step of the way.   To be sure, when things are not looking so bright, there have been numerous nights when I have tossed about restlessly, filled with doubt and anxiety, half-wondering if I'm following a crazy dream or a living nightmare?  However, after wrestling within myself, that voice, which once seemed so very elusive, reveals itself, lucid enough for me to be very certain of one thing -- I am not alone in this world.

     Therefore, I dare to live, drinking of the cup that overflows and never runs dry, intermingling the melodies of both new and old.

     I am not alone in this adventure -- the adventure we call life, and seeing as how I still have many songs yet to learn, I think I will stay here awhile.