Thank you so much "Real Deal"
I am so proud of you!
Life is a big moment made up of a million little moments. The time you learned to write your name, your first kiss, the day your grandpa died are all smaller pictures that make up the big picture that is your life. You are the artist of your life, painting everything that occurs in each passing second, but sometimes it is hard for you to see this picture you are painting while you are painting it. You have your paintbrush, you are given different colors to work with, and day in and day out you paint and paint and paint. But it is not until after you finish painting a certain part of the picture that you begin to understand it fully. In my picture, there are many parts. In my picture there is the first goal I ever scored, the french quiz I took last week. In my picture there is Black River Middle School. I painted that part a while ago, but I’m pretty proud of it still.
While I was in middle school, while I was painting that part of my picture, I didn’t think very much of it. I didn’t think very much of my 7th grade math class or what I wore in gym or even who I sat with at lunch. I didn’t think very much of middle school, and even now it’s not the most significant part of my life.
Except for one part.
I can say wholeheartedly that music in Black River Middle School is the one thing that has changed my picture the most dramatically. Right off the bat during my 6th grade percussion audition, you, Dr. Piascik, pushed me to be better. I didn’t even know you and you already saw potential in me that I didn’t see. Dr. Piascik, you see potential in all of your students. Even if we do not see it in ourselves you refuse to give up on us. It is this resilience, this raw desire to better the lives of your students that separates you from the rest.
Unfortunately, it has taken me a long time to recognize this. When I was in middle school, I knew you cared and I knew that that meant that I should too. But it is only recently that I began to understand the extent to which you care about your students. You want so badly for your students to care too. Alas, this is not always the case. But it is not your job to makes us care. Instead, you are responsible for giving us the opportunity to care, In other words, Dr. Piascik, you are a farmer. Your students are seeds that you plant in the fertile soil that is music. You water the seeds in your knowledge, you make sure that we get the exposure to music, or, nutrients, we need, you see that we get enough opportunities, or, sunlight, that is necessary for us to thrive. Many times we begin to bud when we reach the high school, though there are few whose roots fail to secure in the soil.
But it is not your job to make us grow, Dr. Piascik. Rather, it is your job to teach us about music and life and how to be better people. It is your job to teach us about life through music. And I can proudly say that being one of your students has made me who I am today. The lessons I have learned, the people I have met, the music I have played, the person I have become is all because of you and I will never be able to thank you enough for all that you have done.
I need to thank you for being a mentor; a friend. Thank you for never giving up on me even though there have been so many times when I wanted to give up on myself. Thank you for pushing me to the point I was so certain was my threshold and making me go a mile past it. Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to get upset and it’s okay to want to cry sometimes because it only means you care. Thank you for making me a stronger person and musician. Thank you for being you.
Five years ago, I would have never thought that if someone asked me who I looked up to most today I would say you. Five years ago I might have even laughed at that response. But I can honestly say that you have made a bigger impact on me in the time I have known you than anyone else in my life, and for that I will be forever grateful. I’m not sure if you will ever know how much you mean to your students. I’m hoping that this letter will begin to give you an idea.
Dr. Piascik, we are all artists. We paint and paint and paint and paint until one day all of our paint dries up. It’s upsetting at first, but when you look back and see the picture you’ve painted you become less fixated on the fact that it’s over and more taken away by what you’ve created; more amazed by the legacy you’ve left. So, Dr. Piascik, I would like to thank you for all that you do for your students. Thank you for your passion in all that you do. Thank you for caring when it seems like no one else does.
Thank you for being a part of my picture.
Sincerely,
“Real Deal”