The Measuring Stick of Money
Some 5+ years ago while still living in West Virginia I made it a side job to teach violin/fiddle. I started learning myself about 14 years ago, so even at the time, and at the young age that I was, I had some experience and knowledge under my belt. Since moving to Maryland, the pace of life has picked up and music is something that seems to be left on the wayside more times than not.
Last week something happened that may change all of this though. I was approached by a woman in my church who teaches a 'volunteer strings school' of sorts. She, as a classically trained musician felt it on her heart to make it possible for some of the young students in our school and church to have the opportunity to develop themselves in a love for string music. For a few years now she has been teaching a group lesson for a few hours every week and has accrued somewhere around 5-10 students who all have an interest and desire to learn to play. Some violin, some viola and some cello. Teaching a group class and having her experience, she is well equipped to give a great overview/group lesson even with multiple instruments at the same time. In speaking with me, she expressed how she has seen a great deal of talent in some of the violin students and would like to be able to see them progress further than she is able to take them. She wanted to see if I would be willing to take them on as privet lesson students.
Being out of the music teaching world for the last 5 years, I feel both apprehensive and very honored that she would see me as still skilled enough to take a student even farther than she can herself. My second thought - what a great way to make a little money on the side as well.
Then came the catch.
Because the location she uses for her music school is part of a non-profit organization, their policy is that they can't officially charge anything for the lessons. She told me if I really wanted to, I may be able to speak with the parents directly and just be paid under the table. I really struggled with this for a few days, trying to decide what to do... should I try to find a loophole around this policy and burden my conscious with this? Should I try to find some other location (nothing promising in that department)? Should I just refuse to teach? I have long thought that if someone doesn't have to pay for something, they are never really going to see the value in a thing, or be willing to work for it. I spent a lot of time rolling this idea over in my head before coming to a conclusion.
Why do I think value is measured by money?
We live in a society where money is the ruler by which everything we value is measured. Food, electricity, phones, houses, the amount of work you are willing to do for a person and even knowledge... everything is portioned out in increments relative to the amount of money we are willing to pay, or be paid.
Perhaps partly because deep in my nature I want to cause a little ripple and go against the flow, and partly because I want to be able to step back and see value as something more than a price tag, I have decided to take this challenge. I'm not going to ask for any money. I'm not going to ask for anything in exchange for the knowledge, instruction or time I give these students.
"I want to teach these students how to play the violin, but I want to teach them more than that. I want to teach them to treasure something and see the value in it without seeing a price tag attached."
There was a time in our country when the butcher traded meat to the farmer for grains and the seamstress would sew an outfit for the gardener in exchange for tomatoes and corn. Somehow this changed. Now the only way we see value in something is by knowing it's exchange for something that has the least value of all - simple paper with ink.
I want to take up this challenge and challenge anyone reading this to do the same. Look for something and realize it's value completely outside of what could be paid for it. See something's value purely and simple as valuable because it is itself.
