I love living in two professional worlds—education and music. It gives my life a yin
and yang; a push and a pull; an A-Side and a B-Side. I’ve always liked it this way. My career as a business professor informs my music, and my music informs my role in the classroom. This often comes to light for me when class discussions about the music business help me connect with particular students.
Case in point…last week a former student of mine named Jesus (Hay-Soos) dropped by my office to say hello and to follow up on a discussion we had several months ago about his desire to buy a Gibson Flying V guitar. Jesus loves heavy metal music, and in particular he loves the band Judas Priest. Because I grew up in the 1970’s/1980’s and listened to my share of heavy metal music, this resonated with me (oh, the memories of cranking up some rock and roll in my buddy Bill Kelly’s old two-door sedan!).
In our initial conversations, Jesus told me that has always wanted a Flying V guitar because it felt right to him…it fit his love of metal…it fit his personality. Well, he recently got his guitar, and he was thoughtful enough to pay me a visit to show off his purchase. I love the guitar, but even more than this, I loved Jesus’ demeanor when he showed it to me. He was proud, happy, and inspired.
To my way of thinking, one of the goals of a university education involves honing emotional intelligence by developing a healthy level of self-awareness about who we are. I dig the fact that Jesus is clearly on this path. He has a quiet confidence when he talks about his passions, and this was extremely evident when he stopped by. He held on to that guitar like it was his truth. It was one of the most enjoyable visits I have ever had from a student.
In short, I have a lot of respect for Jesus, and I think he is going to be a wildly successful young man professionally and personally. Plus, he likes Judas Priest. I mean c’mon!!!
