2004-08-11 at 9:56 p.m.

I now know what all my previous piano teachers have gone through.

Today, one of my students sat her 3rd grade piano exam. She'd spent most of this week in a mental state somewhere between panic and a near-death experience, and I spent a lot of time during lessons attempting to calm her down. When she showed up for her lesson, she was a shade of white as yet uncaptured by art.

As she went into the exam room, I could see myself superimposed over her, nervously heading into my own exams in years gone by. And I realised exactly how much stress I put my teachers through. So, to all my teachers- I'm sorry for the grey hairs and stomach ulcers and shot nerves. Really, I am.

And my student? She got a pretty good mark. Turns out I'm not a completely incompetent teacher. Who knew?