Je me souviens

Je me souviens is the official motto of Quebec, the province of Canada where I’m from. It means "I remember".

Yes, we remember. We remember the past and its lessons, the past and its misfortunes, the past and its glories. - Thomas Chapais, Québec, 1895

A couple of years ago, I read an excellent text published on the excellent Bulletproof Musician blog and written by the horn player/teacher and fearless performance wizard Jeff Nelsen.

I bookmarked it, printed it, shared it on Facebook, and urged every student of mine to read it, as I’m now urging you! In his article, Prof. Nelsen shares bits of wisdom and emphasizes a point which I believe to be so important for students: