Happy Thanksgiving

On my other blog, I made a more general list, but thought it would be fun to do a music related "What I am thankful for" list here.

I am thankful for my iPhone. How did I ever live without it?
I am thankful for iTunes.
I am thankful for YouTube. All of these have made learning and loving my songs much easier.
I am thankful that my parents and grandparents thought that piano lessons should be a priority. We had a lot of financial difficulties as I was growing up, but somehow, someone always found a way to pay for the lessons. Thanks for all the sacrifices of time and resources that were made so that I could be the musician I am today.
I am thankful for wonderful teachers who encouraged me and challenged me to be the very best I could be.
I am thankful for mentors who took my under their wings and taught me the things I needed to know.
I am thankful that I went to a small private junior college where I had teaching and leadership opportunities that most don't get until graduate school.
I am thankful that Mr. Keenan, though a wonderful pianist himself, insisted on having a student accompanist at the piano every day. I learned so much from those 3 years of being a choir accompanist.
I am thankful for every opportunity I had to accompany church singing, a choir, soloists, operas, or musicals from before I was even 12 years old. I received thousands of hours of free instruction as I watched directors and teachers work.
I am thankful for my students, even the one that sometimes drive me nuts. Sometimes I am most thankful for them because they keep me on my toes. They challenge me to find new and better ways to share what I know. I also love the kids whose enthusiasm and energy brighten my day.
I am thankful for my blogs. Both of them have given me the chance to say things that are harder to say in person. They've given me the opportunity to claim my beliefs and my fears, and to move forward with integrity.

So, the list is not complete, but it is time to move on to the next portion of my Thanksgiving Celebration.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!