Minuet No. 3

When I flew to Kabul, I crammed as much sheet music as I possibly could into into one large priority mailing box. I brought pedagogical books for teaching as well as music for my own study. I have to admit, I was a little too ambitious thinking that I could tackle Kodaly Solo Sonata and Berio Sequenza, in addition to teaching full-time, six days a week. Not happening.

Of course I brought along the Suzuki books. They are absolutely indispensable. After realizing that the library at school did not own Suzuki Book Two, I brought my own copy from home to share with Nazira, one of my most talented and hard-working students. This is the very same book I played from when I was first learning the cello. It's full of funny little doodles and lots of reminders like, "don't forget to count to three!" and "REACH for the G sharp!" There's even a shopping list on the back page.

Nazira and I playing a duet at an ANIM student concert

One day, after deciding that Nazira was ready to move on to the next piece, I turned the page to Bach's Minuet No. 3. There, above the title, was a date. 3/25/98. Indeed, I had been struggling through the very same piece almost thirteen years ago. Upon seeing that date, I was hit by a wave of emotion and nostalgia. I suddenly came face to face with the twelve year old me; trying to master those tricky slurs and grappling with the uncharted territory of third position. In that moment, I was struck by a sudden and deep understanding of my relationship to music and saw my journey up to this point in a new light.

I guess like everything in life, our passions and joys change and evolve. We grow up and on to new places, new relationships, new discoveries, new triumphs and disappointments and of course, new Suzuki books. And as I look back and think about my teachers, I can't help but feel tremendous pride in knowing that I am now a part of the tradition that guided and inspired me throughout my years as a student. I wonder what else I'll find in the pages of my old Suzuki books.