Give Change A Chance

When I was a teenager, I went to a music camp during my summer vacations. It was a great place to meet people, develop my talents, and just get away from my regular routine. The summer of my senior year in high school, after I had been going to the camp for five years, it happened that the teacher I had been studying with each year for those five years, was called away suddenly for a reason unknown to me and I found myself very sad over his departure.

When the new teacher arrived I was not happy. “How can this guy take his place?” I thought. “It just isn't fair that I should have to get used to a new teacher after all these years.” So I went in to the audition with this new guy with pretty bad attitude. First, he asked me to play a few scales, then a couple of exercises, then one of the recital pieces. Thanks to my sour disposition, I played poorly andwent away with the chip still on my shoulder. He thanked me kindly and sent me on my way. The next day when the results of the audition were posted, I was shocked and dismayed to find myself demoted from first chair to last. It was humiliating, to say the least.



The beautiful, brisk summer morning was lost on me, as I sat sulking in my seat, at the end of the row. I couldn't remember a time when I had ever sat in that seat. All my life I thought I was a good player and now, because of my thoughtlessness and pride, I was put in my place -- at the bottom. Nothing in my life has ever taught me more powerfully the importance of patience, forbearance, and humility. I knew that I deserved to be where I was, because of how I acted and felt. I also knew that I could do better, both musically and emotionally. That day, I promised myself that I would to better. During that week, I practiced longer, and pushed myself harder than I ever had in my life. When the time came for me to go to my lesson, I took a deep breath and told myself that it didn't matter that my old teacher was gone, that I could give this new teacher a chance, and that I was going to play better that day than I ever had before.

I will never forget the look of surprise on the new teacher's face as he heard me play that day in my lesson. I really did play better than I ever had in my life, and he was not only surprised, but amazed that I had made such progress in such a short time. He told me that I had the potential to play professionally and that I needed to continue my playing after I graduated. He gave me a bunch more books, a lot of advice and a big pat on the back. It was good to be vindicated. But I knew that the real reason I had done so well, was because of the new teacher. Even though I was angry at first because of the change, in the end it gave me the incentive to be better than I was. I had become complacent and self-satisfied, and this unwelcome change pushed me back into determination and progress.

I finished that summer in the last seat of that row, not sulking, but grateful. Grateful for unwelcome change and new opportunities, grateful for last chairs and second chances, and especially grateful for old teachers and new ones.

Someone has said that the only constant thing in this universe is change. Sometimes change seems like the enemy and we either fight it or run from it. Instead, why not give change a chance. It may be just what we need.