My Most Influential People

I've continued thinking about the people and things that have helped to influence my life. Today, I would like to share with you some of the people who have had the greatest impact on the man that I have become. My family has obviously been a tremendous influence on me and I am eternally grateful for my parents and siblings (well, most of the time anyway). For the purposes of this post, I'm going to be looking at the people I encountered outside of the four walls of my home. I'm listing these five people in the order in which they appeared in my life.

1. Eva Keith was the music teacher at Crawfordsville Elementary in the 1970s. It was on a rainy afternoon in October of 1977 that my life would forever be impacted by this woman as I had my first piano lesson sitting at an upright piano in her classroom after school. No instruction happened that day because the car that my mom and I were in was hit by a school bus on the way to the lesson. This little lady was quite a tyrant when she needed to be. I developed a habit of daily practice out of fear of her wrath. After working through the first two books of a now out-of-print piano method, Ms. Keith began to introduce me to works by Bach, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff. Neither my parents nor I had any idea the high caliber of instruction that I was receiving; it was nothing short of Providence. I continued studying with Ms. Keith for six years until she left the area to move to north Mississippi. I was crushed and contemplated ending my study of the instrument at that point. I credit Eva Keith with much of the piano technique and sight reading skills that I have learned to depend on in my career today.
2. Mrs. Ussery was my fourth grade teacher. She was also the first teacher who called my bluff and refused to allow me to coast through another year without applying myself to my full potential. With her guidance, I developed a love for learning that has not been quenched. Mrs. Ussery taught me the value of books and the power of knowledge while instilling in me lessons of integrity and compassion for those who were struggling.
3. During my late adolescent and early teen years, James Marlow became the pastor of the local congregation my family attended. As luck would have it, the congregation did not have a pianist. Bro. Marlow allowed me to begin exploring the position of church pianist as a ten-year-old child. (It's not a situation that I would ever recommend for a developing pianist, but it turned out okay for me.....with a lot of patience, prayers, and love from this man and his wife, Alice.) Bro. Marlow did much more than introduce me to church music though. He also provided solid Biblical instruction in a crucial time and became a lifelong friend to my family.
4. While looking for a work-study opportunity at Pepperdine, I found my way into the Campus Life Office and became a CLO kid. Bob White, Rita Sears, Lori Otto, Vanessa Nichols, and Darryl Calkins all impacted my life in various ways, but the greatest impact came from Hung Le. Somehow I ended up working as an intern to Hung and got to be involved in the planning for events like New Student Orientation, Parents' Weekend, and Graduation Brunch. I learned so much about organization and event planning from this man that you will ever know. More importantly, I watched a Godly man live out his faith openly day in and day out. Hung was not only my boss; he became a cherished friend. I sat in his office in tears at the death of my grandmother and sought his advice when facing a devastating blow in my academic career. I was blessed to return to Pepperdine for a few months in 1998 and work for Hung Le again. What I thought was going to be the beginning of a glorious return tour to the school I loved turned out to be an unexpected trial as my dad faced colon cancer. As I found myself thousands of miles away from my family, Hung became my family -- offering support, encouragement, love, and prayer. Once again, my Heavenly Father knew exactly who to place in my path when I was most in need.
5. I have spent more time in the piano studio of Joan Gilbert than any other teacher. Ms. Gilbert was my graduate advisor, but she was so much more than my teacher though. She was a mentor, advisor, and friend. She helped me fall in love with my instrument again when I thought that playing was nothing more than a past hobby. Her wisdom helped me chart a course of study that led to my current career as a collaborative artist. Her tenacity and drive pushed me to complete the doctoral degree when I was ready to give up. 

As you can see, I have been tremendously blessed by amazing people who have challenged me, mentored me, and loved me. I could continue and tell you about Jody, Dr. Ferguson, Robbie, Andy, and Donna. The list could stretch for days! I will forever be indebted to each of these influential people for the part they have played in my development. I only hope that I can some day honor them by offering similar encouragement to those I encounter in the years to come.