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The angels are the many people throughout my life who have affected me spiritually:
parents, children, family, mentors, and students in my classes and private music studio. The "spiritual sharing"
of ideas by the students are the angelic experiences that have changed my life minute to minute, day to day, and week to week. I began
my first year in education in September of 1969 at O'Connell School in East Hartford, Connecticut, and my 30th year
was completed in June of 1999 at Kesling Middle School in La Porte, Indiana.
Over the past 30 years of teaching music my increased understanding of what children need from their teacher has increased my ability to prioritize what is important in the classroom and what is not. This revelation has been the joy of my journey. With this knowledge I was able to find love and peace of mind for the longer journey ahead in my professional, private and spiritual life. Much of what I have learned took every minute of the entire 30 years of teaching to understand and implement. Over this period of time, my spiritual calling to the field of education lead me to many different types of learning and performing environments in the field of music education. During my first 20 years as a professional musician, I was a public school teacher and administrator by day and a classical musician at night performing with the symphony orchestras throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts and teaching privately at the Hartt School of Music. It was this combination of working daily with people of all ages, performing the great classical literature, and having the opportunity to make a difference in education that kept me very motivated and kept me in touch with my spiritual calling. Although there were many days of frustration and disappointment, my family and colleagues steered me on the right course of action and encouraged me to keep my visions in perspective. The opportunities to commission original pieces of music literature by composers whom I loved and respected was and continues to be one of my great joys in life. In addition I had the opportunities to implement a variety of new music programs in traditional school music curriculums in local communities in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Indiana. This effort improved the quality of music teaching and music learning for thousands of students and teachers annually. For me, these improvements in school music programs and in the musical lives of children and teachers were and continues to be the definition of happiness. My greatest vision was to help teachers help students. I knew that for every music teacher I could help there would be approximately 500 students benefiting from each teacher's growth in knowledge and enthusiasm. This vision began to unfold into reality in the fall of 1977 with the Fall Workshops of Music Educators at Naubuc School in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The vision grew tot he Hartt School of Music in their Summer term program, and expanded nationwide between 1981-1990 to include Hartt School, Central Connecticut State University, VanderCook College of Music, Villanova University, and Duquesne University. Smaller satellite programs were initiated at Regis College, St. Mary's College (San Antonio), Madonna University, The College of St. Catherine, Fontbonne College, Azusa Academy of Music in Glasgow, Scotland. The goal was to develop meaningful and pragmatic courses for graduate credit where music educators could meet great teachers, conductors, composers and performers within the field of music and music education during the summer months. This vision connected me with he greatest individuals in the field of music performance and music education. My talent was to network local music teachers with the music and music education gurus who wanted to help music teachers in the field who needed information, guidance, motivation, and materials to motivate themselves and their students in the classrooms of their local schools. The network of colleges and universities offered such opportunities for graduate credit and continuing education credit. At present this network of graduate music education study attracts approximately 2,000 students each summer which represents approximately 1 million students in grades k-12. The reality of this vision which began in the summer of 1981 has to date inspired approximately 30,000 teachers representing approximately 15 million students. With all this human energy, hard work, and commitment, only recently have I begun to understand the power of this spiritual calling. This calling was not for name recognition, political power, ego boosting, or financial gain. This calling was spiritual and designed to help the teachers help the children. With this global effort of helping teachers and children, I have connected with an increased flow of love, caring, happiness, peace and joy which defines the mission of one's soul and allows one to know the purpose for which they are here and where they are going. Sharing these visions and insights of the past 30 years, I hope will help others open the doors to their spiritual calling, spiritual mission and spiritual purpose for being here at this time in the history of the universe. I hope that by sharing my life-changing lessons learned from mentors and students spanning five decades others will be inspired to write about their unique journey of life-changing lessons. This is how we all connect from generation to generation, and those within our sphere of influence will be forever grateful. L.D.A. |