Dr. Jackson,
These past three years have been a ride, for sure. I’ve been through heartbreak and happiness, stress and peace, and you have seen me through it all. Choir has been the only constant through my college years, and I can’t thank you enough for providing such a wonderful outlet for me to come back down to Earth to when I feel like everything becomes too much. Singing has always been something that was a big part of my life, from putting on concerts for my mom when I was little, to singing in the car when I drive home during breaks.
I know we had kind of a rocky start my freshman year, but regardless of that, I have always loved the atmosphere that your choir class has provided for us potatoes. Even on the days where we have the energy equivalent of a doormat, you always manage to bring out some semblance of music in us. Making music with my peers for three nights a week provides the same feeling of home and peace that my sisters do in my sorority.
Through choir, I have met some of the best people I know, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful. Singing with people you truly care about is a feeling that is incomparable, which I’m sure you know. Speaking of people I care about, I want to say thank you for always offering your wisdom to your students, and especially to me. You have always been willing to talk to me about what’s been going on in my life, and that means a ton to me.
As if the sappy crap wasn’t enough, you have provided us with a hundred laughs. From calling us to potatoes, to landing a plane while trying to conduct, and falling on the ground when we mess up Mendelssohn. I’ll never forget your advice to shake the baby and “just sing better,” and all your bad (I mean great) puns.
And who could leave out your sporadic life lessons mid-rehearsal? For me, choir has been a place to practice the music I love, as well as expand my outlook of the world and understand everything a little better. It’s easy to see how important the music is to you, and it’s honestly inspiring to those of us who want to love music more.
So thank you for being a kick-ass professor, as well as our friend. Thank you for teaching us about music, life, and solfege (even though some of us still aren't so good at it -- *me*), and thank you for pushing me to be a better singer and broaden my horizons by continually convincing me that rejoining chamber choir is a good idea. It’s been a great three years, and I can’t wait for more choir and life lessons.
Sincerely,
Your Choir Member
