A new student

I just set up a lesson with a new student today. I'm very intrigued by her. She's a junior in high school, who lives about an hour and 45 minutes away from me. She's determined to get a lesson with a professional, and so is willing to come that far. That impresses me!

I asked her what days work for her and her parents, since I assumed as a junior in high school, her parents would want to come along with her on such a long trip. She informed me that she would be driving alone. I couldn't help but think back to my junior year in high school and wonder whether or not my parents would have let me drive almost two hours by myself for a lesson with someone they had never met. They would certainly have come along.

As I proceeded to give her directions, she was very conscientious in taking down the exact street names and turns. She told me she didn't always have good luck with directions, and mentioned how she got lost in Chicago last week on her trip to visit several colleges in the Chicago area. I noted that she said how "she" had gotten lost, and asked her if she had done the trip alone. I was quite surprised to hear that yes, her parents had allowed her to take a trip to Wheaton College and the University of Chicago by herself. I can't imagine ever allowing a daughter of mine, or a son for that matter, to do a solo trip like that at that age. At the same time, I was impressed by her determination and fearlessness.

She's paying for these lessons herself, with no assistance from her parents or anyone else. I couldn't really charge her the going rate when I heard this. I decided to charge her half of what I normally take for lessons, though it will still take her about three or four hours of work to pay for the lesson. I remember back to my days as a high school student, and remember the sacrifice that my parents made to provide me with lessons. My brother Steve helped me too. (Thanks mom, dad, and Steve!). I wonder why her parents can't or won't help her, and I've been thinking about her, and her situation all morning. I am very curious about who she is, and what her life history has been. My mind has been turning over the possibilities. Are her parents uninvolved in their own daughter's life? Do they not care if she goes galavanting off on her own to Chicago during Spring Break? Is she stuck in a family situation that she is desperately motivated to rise above? Or is she the daughter of parents who love her dearly, but who have mediocre jobs, slaving away at an hourly wage, without the vacation time available to accompany their daughter on a trip such as this, let alone pay for lessons? Or is it possible that they are brusque parents who believe in the necessity of having true grit, and have told their daughter that if she wants to succeed in life, she must pull herself up by her own bootstraps? I don't know, but I want to know more.

This chance encounter intrigues me immensely, and I wonder what I will discover. I want to know more about her, and why her parents have allowed her to do things such as this by herself. I want to find out why she is so passionate about music, and what her dreams are. More importantly, I hope I can help her, and at the same time, I just hope the girl can play. It's clear she's motivated, but the sad truth is that often, despite how driven or motivated someone might be, they have a slim chance of ever having a career as a musician. I hope she is naturally gifted, since it sounds like she desires this more than anything. We shall see, come this Thursday.