So what did I want to be when I was growing up? Well, being a child in the 60’s, I was not unlike other kids (at least, I thought). And so, of course, my dream was the same as everyone else’s: I wanted to be the 5th Beatle. In my head, I actually was. I could keep up with George’s guitar riffs, could sing any one of Paul or John’s harmonies. I could keep a beat as good as Ringo on my toy drum set, and naturally, had the head shaking thing mastered! I also knew that if there was no chance to be a Beatle, I could always audition for the Monkees. It seems like they could have used some girl power, and I believed that even though I was destined to be short, I still had a pretty good chance of being as tall as Davey. (Funny how a 6 year-old’s mind works.) I was pretty convinced I was a shoe-in for that band. But, that didn’t pan out for me, either. And alas, I didn’t even make it to Davey’s height. Some dreams fade out over time. Some evaporate like boiling water. I’m over the Beatles and Monkees dream now, but still lament the lack of vertical growth.

Music was pumping through me like water gushing from a fire hydrant. I couldn’t stop the singing in my head, the rhythms pulsating through me. I still tap out drum rhythms whenever I’m not tapping on keyboards, or doing something else that requires digits and opposing thumbs. I was composing musicals that rivaled Rodgers and Hammerstein, and was sure that had I been older and gone through college already, that I would have been a collaborator with Webber and Rice. And the only reason why Sondheim wrote “Send in the Clowns” was because I just hadn’t had the chance to think of it yet. If there had been a way to record the music I was creating in my own cerebellum, I’d have had a hundred scores under my belt by the time I turned 8.

So, what happened? We all dream as children. We all have aspirations. But, we live our childhood in cocoons of innocence, and often, our well-intentioned parents aim to steer us toward more realistic goals. Hoping to be the 5th Beatle was just another “pie in the sky” dream. But, I believe our childhood dreams are born out of our intrinsic passions. And, while it may not be practical to pursue our adolescent dreams, the passion that gave birth to them should never be neglected. Had I left no stone unturned in my quest to join the likes of the Fab 4, or Rodgers and Hammerstein, I may well have stumbled upon a rewarding career in the music field. I’ve come to realize that working in a field that nurtures our passions is the most rewarding career anyone could hope for.

I limited my options by not pursuing my dreams. Instead, I succumbed to expectations of succeeding in school, and seeking out other “careers.” And in the process, I abandoned who I was, or I should say: who I am. I remember thinking to myself, even as a young child, that the last thing on earth I’d like to be is a secretary. I had a finger-down-the-throat, gag-me-with-a-spoon, gut reaction to the very thought of it. Yet, here I am. If I could give one piece of advice to children of all ages, whether 2 or 92, it would be this: Do not live up to your expectations. Instead, live up to your dreams.