My Professors

I may have mentioned that I have a closer relationship with my professors in the music department than I ever did in biochemistry. (Unless you count that one time Volpato got me totally wasted at the pub before we realized he was my math professor...) It only makes sense. My theory class is approximately a tenth of the size of ochem lecture. So there ya go.

This past year I've gotten particularly well acquainted with my voice professor, Phil, and my chamber music professor, Janos, as well as Janos's wife, Paivikki, who is my Alexander Technique instructor. These are relationships that I quite cherish. My teachers are ceaselessly encouraging and have always challenged me to do my best under their tutelage. And they have so many stories to share!

The weird thing is that my history professor, who I didn't think I had any sort of connection to, invited me to watch an opera with her today. As in $185 seats at the Civic Center downtown. It was weird getting that e-mail from her. But I guess she liked me a lot more than the impression I got from attending her class? I told her I have plans, which is not entirely untrue (I have to do homework and study!) but that was an interesting diversion from my usual Sunday morning e-mails. I guess I have a raving letter of recommendation to look forward to from her.

I guess if I were a professor I would also have something of a preference for my more passionate and interested students. But from where I am now, I'm just happy to have teachers who bring me to work hard and be better.

I've always had a way for excelling in mental exercises, but inspiration isn't something everyone is born with, and I'm happy to have finally found it in my studies here. I used to fail classes left and right, and I barely graduated high school with a 2.0 GPA. I depended on the fact that I was blessed with better-than-average intellect to just get by. (I swear the AP tests and SATs are the only reasons I am even in college.) But coupling a great capacity for knowledge with a true desire for learning? It's a mighty powerful thing indeed.

I just needed the right people in my life to nudge me in the right direction. My teachers are some of the most important people in my life right now.