Kubalek on Great Teachers:

"Rebecca, there is no such thing as a great teacher. There are only great students. If you're a teacher stuck with a class full of idiots, then you'll never be known as a great teacher." -- Antonin Kubalek, a great teacher



Of all the professions in this world that are pursued for whatever reason -- be it for potential earning power, to please a parent, upping social status, to affect a greater good, security, to fulfil a dream, to be rewarded -- Teaching, in my opinion, must be among the most meaningful.

Nothing in my life has allowed me to directly influence so many impressionable human beings in a positive way. From an early age, despite our circumstances, we make choices that ultimately lead us to certain paths. And teachers have the ability to guide our every move; teachers have the ability to shatter hopes or create dreams.

It petrified me at first, realizing this responsibility. Understanding dawned on me when I saw the power my teacher had over me: one look, one word from her could send me home from the lesson with euphoric enthusiasm or the other extreme, depression. Over breadth and time, a series of 'looks' and 'words' will be just the attitude to raise good or bad piano players.

Thankfully, I haven't had to figure out the good basics of teaching musicality or technique on my own. God is good, and blessed me with the right teachers at the right times. But the long-term development of my students are endeavors in which I have a personal stake -- at times, the amount of energy I spend thinking about their pieces or technical issues is truly overwhelming.

There's a rich tradition involved in this business of teaching music. Although the evolution of various schools of thought have changed over time, teachers will always be storytellers. They tell the stories of their teachers quilted with the stories of their own musical journeys. A student can travel the world through stories: Shanghai, Prague, London, remote villages of Africa. Through stories, students can meet the great artists that have influenced their teachers. And so the stories continue with each generation, with new legacies.

* * * * *

Last night, my students waited anxiously as I unraveled the gift they bought me with their "very own savings".

"Rebecca, it's something you really need", one said with certainty.

"Oh really?"

I put aside the gift wrap and saw the box: an electric pencil sharpener!

"You really need this because all your pencils are always dull."

I laughed. I must've complained every single lesson about having my pencils eaten by a cheap pencil sharpener I had from childhood.

And the accompanying handmade card read, "Thank you for being my piano teacher"

* * * * *

My students show me the heart of a great teacher.