Gratitude

I have always loved the Grateful Dead. Since I was a young boy, something about Jerry’s epic never ending guitar solos and the devilish rhythmic style of not one but two drumsets, stood out to me like no other musical group had. It’s not just that Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Bill, and Mickey were outstanding musicians, but they carried themselves differently. Their magic and love carried into a phenomenon unmatched by any other musical group. They manufactured love on stage flowing over to the audiences at concerts that inspired and transpired to every city and arena they performed. In doing so, a community of acceptance was born and they made the world just a little more grateful. 

Being grateful is easier said than done. This applies to people of all ages, professions, and backgrounds. Among the things I am most grateful for are my family, my chosen family, their health & safety, my wonderful dog, those I have crossed paths with and the marks they have left on me. I am grateful for the chance to wake up every day and share the gift of music with students and staff members. Music is a language that has a unique way of sharing what words themselves cannot. Whether it’s a sad song we listen to to move us from a challenging moment to a better one, the I just got my first paycheck air drumming of blissful joy, or the psych up song at the gym or before a big interview, we all have ways that we turn to music for hope, inspiration, and gratitude.

Be Grateful. It won’t always go the way you want both in your classroom and outside of it. Sometimes a lesson flops so badly you’d think you were a fish out of water. Other times tragedy strikes us, our students, or our coworkers. Be grateful for your students and the community you work in. Enjoy the unexpected and learn to be comfortable in it. Be the light in somebody’s day even if you don’t teach anything else successfully at least you did something good. Let your students light up your day with something funny, an unexpected success, or a bad dad joke. May we all strive to do good for children and each other every day we wake up.

In Gratitude,

Kevin