Today, I Confess: Sometimes My Job is Hard.
(And so is everyone else’s)
This time of year, I love watching commencement addresses given at various institutions. An all-time favorite features Kelly Corrigan at The Walker School from 2021. It’s worth 8 minutes of your time.
A highlight, for me, is when she talks about her friend, Paul Ford:
Kelly says EVERYONE loves Paul Ford because, “…at parties, he asks people what they do for a living. Whatever they tell him they do, he says, “That must be really hard”. And no matter what their job is, they always say, “Oh, IT IS”.
Last week on the podcast, I shared five universal truths about working with people.
Well, here’s no. 6: Everyone’s job is harder than you know.
The other day, someone asked me in passing what I did for a living. When I told her I was a piano teacher, she hesitated, then said, “Well, that doesn’t sound too hard.” 🤨
Sigh. We’ve all been there. We’ve heard, “Oh…but what is your REAL job?” and “It must be nice to live your dream job.” Even the whole, “You’re so LUCKY to work from home!”.
The Human Investigator in me is fascinated by WHY this feels like a slam. All in all, I do count myself fortunate to work in a field I feel passionate about.
…It is incredible I’ve made music into a full-time job (especially when I take stock of my music major peers and realize how few of us are working as “professional” musicians).
…I also know working from home is a unique blessing.
But it’s still HARD, and – by golly – I want people to know it! 🤣
There’s something about other people failing to recognize how challenging your work is that feels like a slap in the face.
It stems back to the fact that we ALL want to be seen and understood.
It’s important to note: the only people who can truly understand the challenges of your work (whatever it is!) are people who do that work.
While every studio music teacher I know has dealt with diminishing comments about their profession, this is not unique to us. EVERYONE’S job is harder than outsiders realize.
People don’t understand the heavy emotional lifting we do as teachers. They don’t understand what a job it is to sift through SO many materials, resources, and ideas, to hone our unique Teacher Perspective.
No one understands the way our boundaries are tested, the toll it takes to put a price on our expertise, or to navigate complex economic realities.
…and while all this is true, it’s also true that EVERY profession has challenges we know nothing about.
As someone who is often on the receiving end of unintended “jabs” about my work, I certainly never want to be on the other end.
Embracing the fact that EVERYONE’S work is harder than we know will go a long way in helping us relate to studio families AND the greater world around us.
I guess I’m writing all this today for two reasons:
(1) Be like Paul Ford. Let other people know their work sounds really challenging. Even if you don’t understand it.
(2) Don’t live your Teacher Life in a vacuum. Find people who understand what it’s like to do your work. This is why I am so adamant that studio teachers find their people.
We don’t typically get to swap looks in the hallways between classes or exchange inside jokes by the water cooler.
People are our job, and yet, our work can be shockingly solitary.
I’d been teaching for 9 years before I attended my first teachers conference (and it was a doozy: MTNA 2005 in Seattle).
My mind was BLOWN – and my life was changed – by seeing my place in this Teacher World of ours. I really didn’t understand the depth of our profession until that week.
I know, I know… conferences are expensive, and they are not for all of us.
Truthfully, that’s a big part of why I started Beyond Measure. I wanted to develop a low-stakes opportunity for teachers to feel seen and understood.
The podcast is (obviously) free. It’s intended as a shout-out of solidarity, but there’s not much community involved.
If you’re interested in more opportunities to find your people:
The SuperFriends Community on Patreon is $6/month. I may have started it, but I can’t take credit for its greatness. The quality of teachers who show up and share in our monthly meetings are, quite simply, THE BEST.
If you’re looking for more formal teacher training and community this summer, check out Nicola Cantan’s online Teacher Turboboost (which is PACKED with big ideas from big names!).
You can read the details at the link above but come back and use THIS LINK to save $10 off the already-affordable registration.
Don’t forget about NCKP, which offers a robust online conference AND a (totally separate) in-person event. You can find details about NCKP here.
…all that to say, if you ever struggle to feel seen and understood in this work, there are ways to help with that!
🥂 May we understand the limitations of teaching in a vacuum and seek opportunities to build relationships that suit our season of life and work. 🥂
More from Christina and Beyond Measure:
| 🎙️ On the Podcast: Episode 217 included five universal truths of working with people. |
| 🎙️ (Also) On the Podcast: Episode 218 released this morning and features a “remix” of an old episode. I’m calling the updated version Gracious Goodbyes When Students Quit. Timely, huh? |
| 📒 Favorite Things It’s that time of year! Read more about why this little book is my favorite graduation gift (that doesn’t break the bank!) |
| 🎹 Must Teach Music A lot of us are familiar with Catherine Rollin’s Sounds of Spain collection. This book, by Timothy Brown, is an excellent follow-up for students who love that Spanish flair! PS: I featured one piece from this book on my 2025 Recital Guide. Check it out here! |
