You probably have heard this quote which has been attributed to Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who perished in the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle accident. She may not have originated the expression, but she did bring a T-shirt with this imprinted on it, and she certainly popularized it, according to a Wikipedia article I read.

So, this week as I was registering to attend upcoming National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in San Francisco, June 30-July 4, 2024, I was reminded of this saying when I saw this photo and biography of my former student:

Joey Fala

Biography

Organist and church musician Joseph Fala is the Director of Music at University Presbyterian Church on the UNC Chapel Hill campus where he oversees an intergenerational program comprising four choral ensembles, a newly established concert series and growing collaborations with the university, including a choral scholar initiative and sacred music resident program. Joey is a graduate of Yale University where he studied organ with Martin Jean and Thomas Murray and subsequently undertook a two-year residency as organ scholar at Duke University Chapel where he also held the position of Chapel Carillonneur. He formerly served at the Episcopal Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Norwalk, CT. His teachers include Joseph Causby, Katherine Crosier, Alfred Fedak, Christopher Jacobson and Christian Lane.

A recipient of the American Guild of Organists Pogorzelski-Yankee Memorial Scholarship and the Institute of Sacred Music Robert Baker Scholarship, Joey was named one of “20 under 30” by The Diapason, and was a featured artist at the 2019 AGO West Convention and the 2015 Organ Historical Society Convention. He has competed and won prizes in the Arthur Poister, Albert Schweizer and AGO Young Organist Competitions and has had the opportunity to perform in inspiring spaces including the Cathedral of St. John the Divine NYC, St. Patrick’s Cathedral NYC, Trinity Church Boston, Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral LA, Harvard University’s Busch Hall, and the Washington National Cathedral. Joey is originally from Honolulu and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture and lighting engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Who would have dreamed that twenty years ago, when I first met fifth-grader Joey Fala, that he would some day be one of the featured performers at a national convention of the AGO? What a journey it’s been since those days!

This week, I also read a Facebook post about writer Clint Smith meeting his 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Mueller, at his book signing.

The comments on this post were very heartwarming:

It’s always a rare privilege to get to tell a teacher in person what they meant to you… I’m a teacher. This made me cry. I pray I have had that effect on just one person over the years… I still remember quite fondly at one of my first book signings looking out to my first grade teacher proudly sitting in the front row. Hadn’t seen her in many ears and there she was with a big grin on her face… Love this. My mom was a teacher. My little brother’s 3rd grade teacher told her he’d never be more than a C student. Graduated top of class, full scholarship, degree in Aerospace engineering. Glad my mom was encouraging… I just wish more teachers could see the amazing impact they have on their students and our world. God bless the teachers!

Respite, and then the onslaught! After a whirlwind five days in California with my family, I came back to Hawaii on Saturday night in time to play two services on Sunday, and a New Year’s Day service on Monday. I have choir rehearsal on Thursday, an Eve of Epiphany service on Friday, then two Sunday morning services at two churches, with an Epiphany Lessons and Carols service on Sunday afternoon. Seven services plus a rehearsal in one week! I’m practicing repertoire I haven’t played in a long time, including Bach In dir ist Freude, Bach Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Buxtehude Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, and many others. Just today I noted how many pieces I’ve downloaded to my iPad since I bought it in early November — (are you sitting down for this?) ONE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE PIECES! That includes organ repertoire, mass settings, hymns, harmonizations, propers, and choral repertoire which I’ve had to play and/or review for the services since then. Yowzers! However, I’m still using paper for the services except for occasionally using the iPad with a (human) page turner!