It was a chilly November evening on the weekend before Thanksgiving. By late afternoon, the sun was
nearly down, leaving a wintry feeling in the air.. Many people were starting to leave for vacation, or begin their
weeklong rest. But, the students of Century Fine Arts were hard at work to spread the joy of music to the Grand
Living community in Sugar Land.

There were so many excellent performers on piano, voice, and guitar. One set of performances that
stood out to me were the three brothers Jefferson, Anderson, and Edison who all gave lovely piano
performances. Their family have been attending CFA for as long as I can remember, and it was rewarding to see
not only the oldest brother stick with it, but to see his younger siblings inspired to play as well. Of course, they
also all looked amazing dressed up in their suits and ties!

Following each student’s performance, they got a bit of public speaking practice as well. Each student
answered a question of their choice. We heard what some people were thankful for this holiday season, what
they enjoy about being a musician, or even what animal they would be! It was nice to hear that some students
were thankful for their family members, or grateful to share their music. And now we know one student would
be a zebra if he were an animal! Who would have guessed?

A moment of pride for me was getting to hear my longtime guitar student Aaron perform two pieces we
have been working on all semester. It was inspiring to see Aaron play both pieces from memory, which is always

a big step forward for musicians. And he nailed both of them! It is always rewarding to hear the culmination of
all the hours of practice translate into an excellent performance.

The concert ended with my own pair of pieces played on guitar. I had fun performing for an attentive
audience, and I was thankful for the opportunity to show my students what I can do in a performance setting.

These sorts of performances that bring students and teachers into the surrounding community
distinguish Century Fine Arts from more standard music schools. I truly get the sense that we are using our
crafts to make the Sugar Land and Houston area a better place, and I love seeing young students take on that
responsibility with joy.