A Favorite Teacher- Coming of Age

When I think about the best teacher I’ve ever had, immediately one woman comes to mind- Mrs. P. Mrs. P is about 60 now, with bright red hair, a smile that brightens any room and her own spunky sense of style. Her shoes and purses always matched, and, her proudest accomplishment, they always matched her nail polish. I was first introduced to her when she was my Girl Choir teacher in 4^th grade, she then moved on to be my middle school choir teacher, and finally moved up with my class into high school to be our accompanist- so you could say Mrs. P and I have some history.

Growing up, I was a pretty shy girl at school. Also, being the eldest child, I was not used to being surrounded by older girls (girl choir was 4^th-6^th grade) so I was extremely shy. In girl choir, I would rarely say a word and would try to sing as quietly as possible. If it weren’t for Mrs. P, I would probably still be that way today. She invested in me; she saw me as a project and worked hard to instill confidence in me. When singing she would always look at me and hint to me to be louder, and when I listened, she would give me a reassuring nod that I was doing it right. I began feeling comfortable around her and feeling like I could talk and joke around. When people would see me in music class, that was the real me. I was just being myself- a goofy kid.

As the years went on, Mrs. P never gave up on me. She not only invested in my musical abilities, but she helped me grow into my own person through music. She knew I could sing but she wanted me to feel it; she wanted me to sing from my heart. Until I knew what it meant to really sing with emotion, I thought ‘singing from your heart’ was the lamest, fakest thing ever. She would ask me after I’d sing a solo ‘how did that feel, Nat?’ and I would always answer with something like ‘that was fun, did it sound good?’ I was so confused about what she could possibly mean- yes, it is fun to sing a solo and hear people cheer for you, but I didn’t understand how it could be an emotional experience.

In my sophomore year of high school, however, I finally got to understand this wonderful feeling. It was a cold February evening at the Wichita Collegiate School talent show. I was singing ‘The Voice Within,’ a song about a girl who is a dreamer, but fears her dreams. It is about just trusting yourself and realizing that that’s all you can do. Along with having the most pertinent lyrics, the song itself is just beautiful. I remember, as always, being nervous out of my mind, but knowing that when I walked on that stage and got Mrs. P’s reassuring nod, everything would be alright.

I went out on stage and began with a soft tone, becoming louder and more powerful as the song progressed. I had never had more fun than I was having at that moment singing. I was so confident and felt like I was on the top of the world. In my life, this was a moment when I changed tremendously. I was singing for me; I was having fun and sharing a message that I found important with people in the best way I knew possible, through music. That was what was most important to me-finding the way that I speak to people, finding my voice within. I remember wishing that the song would never end. When the song was over and I was walking off stage, I was just shaking. I had just experienced the most amazing feeling ever- it was indescribable.

After I walked off stage, Mrs. P immediately left her spot at the piano and ran out to give me a hug. She told me she KNEW that I felt it that time. When she saw the joy on my face, she had no doubt that I knew what she was talking about. She just continued embracing me.

This was when I truly felt how much she really loved her job and her students. She was so happy that I got to feel that incredible feeling. Her job was to share the gift of music and, at that moment, she knew that it was a job well done. Mrs. P’s love for music, love for her students, and her ability to literally change lives with her talents are what truly make her my favorite teacher. She not only showed me the effect music can have on people, but she changed my life. She turned shy, quiet, insecure little Natalie into the confident woman I was on that stage and the confident woman I am today.