Let's be a Light

Hi all -
Commencement at NCSSM is tomorrow and I have been thinking a great deal about the seniors that will be leaving NCSSM and going on to college next year. We have had a wonderful 2 years of music-making and fun and I hope you all know that I will miss each and every one of you. I look forward to hearing about all of your future successes in your various fields and , of course, your musical endeavors. I hope that you will all stay in touch with me and visit from time to time.

I was considering writing a "Commencement Address" today, but, you will hear enough of those in the coming days. So, I will keep my thoughts brief today. I will simply provide one thought to leave with you.

Be a light. That is it. It is such a simple metaphor. Light and dark. But, you know, we can all get it. And, we can all do it. It really isn't that hard. Each day, when you get out of bed, think to yourself, "Today, I am going to be a light in this world." With that framework for your life, you can't really go wrong. For really, it is the one thing that we all have control of: our attitude and our approach. Other stuff might hit us hard. Circumstances are sometimes out of our control. Sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we don't feel good. Sometimes people let us down. The one thing we can do, is endeavor to be a light in the world.

Where can you be a light? With your interactions with others? With your scholarly contributions? With your art? With your caring for others? With your service? Or maybe some or all of these. We all have our gifts. We all have our strengths. Use yours to be a light in the world. I'll try to do the same with mine.

Thanks for a great couple of years. Thanks for sharing so much of yourselves with me. Thanks for opening your hearts to the things that I have tried to contribute. I will miss you all.

Let your light shine!!

Peace.
Scott