Mitch writes: >exactly ... i think .... teaching is about laying a foundation. not >building the walls .... Nice metaphore. Here is another one: The teacher takes the pupil musician or composer by the hand. They stand in front of a mirror. Then the fresh pupil will react like a reptile. He will see a flat shiny screen. Then the teacher will say to him: "Look this is A pupil, and that's A teacher". The pupil will see A pupil and A teacher if he's not totally untalented, somewhat like a dog does. Next, the teacher will say: look, this is YOU (and ME). If the student is a bit talented, he'll say: Whow, I never thought about that! He will become a monkey instead of a dog. If he is a big talent he will say, "No, it's just an image of you and me". If the teacher is a generous one, he will say: "Right you are, and look: there are also images to be seen around us. Would you like me to help you articulate what you see? " "Jos Janssen" <[log in to unmask]>