Sometimes I feel like one of those big rig trucks that carries several cars on its trailer. Like The Little Engine That Could, I continue to tell myself, "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!" as I'm pulling my students uphill to the Spring Recital. "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!" as I start each lesson, trying to keep a fresh face and new energy for every one of my students. "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!"

But unlike The Little Engine That Could, this is a Big Engine That Must, and we aren't just pulling a load of toys over the mountain –– we are taking months worth of intensive musical training and channeling it in to one performance experience. There's a lot on the line, most notably, pride.

It takes a lot of courage to get up on stage and pour your heart out through the piano to a quiet, tuned-in audience. This is why we work so diligently day after day, week after week, to mold our craft into something we are proud of and willing to share with others.

So please, in these next two weeks to come, put your engine into high gear and let's make the most out of every minute we have to smooth out every wrinkle and polish every passage of these pieces we have been working on. You owe it to yourself to play your very best. You are my pride and joy!

And if you are ever curious about what makes me so excited to greet each one of my students with enthusiasm and an intense level of commitment –– here's a peek into little moments that made my heart soar this week: