I didn’t realize the extent to which some kids face pressure to excel until I moved to a major city and began to work with affluent families there.

Though these kids enjoyed certain privileges and choices that I had not had, they were also expected to follow a certain path in life. They were expected to be exceptional students and go to exceptional colleges.

Presumably, to have exceptional lives.

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In Stevie Wonder’s delightful “Sir Duke,” off of his masterpiece double album, Songs in the Key of Life, you’ll find a terrible marriage of lyric and melody in the second verse.

Not only is the line itself a bit nonsensical, you have this weird accent on “the,” which is a big no-no. And a line that begins with “be,” separated from its helping verb.

If it had been my song, I would have changed it. I wouldn’t have let it see the light of day with a lyric like that.

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I can lump my middle school students into two brutally overgeneralized categories: those who crave drama and those who enjoy life without it.

Amusingly and frustratingly, a student of the first type almost always pretends to be the second. “I just don’t want all this drama, you know? But I just can’t seem to escape it.”

When it is pointed out to him that he could choose to associate with classmates who are drama-free, he will retort that everyone is full of drama and there is no alternative.

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When I was a freshman in college, my vocal instructor was about to accompany me on one of the Schubert Lieder when he suddenly turned around and asked me how old I was.

“Nineteen,” I said.

"When Franz Schubert was nineteen, he’d already written a hundred songs,” said my instructor pointedly. “How many songs have you written?” He lifted an eyebrow and gave a self-satisfied smile, then commenced the tune without waiting for an answer.

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Over the years, students have come to me for advice on how they might pursue a career in music.

My answer is brutal, honest, and practical. It’s not based on luck or talent. It’s focused on hard work, focus, bravely putting yourself out there, and building a network and a following.

I bear no judgment toward those who choose a different path. It’s wise to give up on a dream if you realize that you’re not willing to put in the work or make the sacrifice that allows you let go of everything else and focus only on the actions that make your desired outcome possible.

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