ArtView December 2013 | Page 36

help these 25 people find ways to form smaller groups. They were a truly talented crew and are now on tour up the east coast of the US. Also an extremely interesting project with Paul Winter called "FLYWAYS". Paul has assembled a band with members from each of the countries that are in the path of the annual migration of millions birds as they winter in Southern Africa. The birds congregate from Asia and Europe and head South over the Balkans, past Lebanon and down the Great Rift Valley. Paul's music celebrates the migration of approach to nurturing the musical talent of your the birds as all the indigenous people in their flight students? path have for centuries. The music is accompanied by a film showing the birds on their journey, it is a As I see it, my main job is to empower students beautiful way to remind ourselves of the links we with believing in themselves, which starts with have to the cycles of our planet and its other loving yourself no matter how much talent you inhabitants, ones that have been here longer than us . . have. I continually see tremendously talented artists . before there were any borders! who fail as humans and subsequently never reach the level that their artistry requests of them. To my way of thinking so many people get it backwards. It is not until they fail miserably in life and in music that their egos can step back and let the universal language and the power of vibration help guide them in life and music. You have also had a distinguished career as a teacher, including a period as a professor at Berklee College of Music, and now at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. As a teacher, what is your