A good mentor is someone who does not coddle you all the way. As I got older, she pushed me more. More than what I thought I was capable of.

My former piano teacher was like a second mother to me when I was a child. I was enrolled into piano lessons at a very young age, and in the beginning, I did not want to take any music lessons. However, she was very patient with me when I first began my lessons because I was so stubborn and did not cooperate. I look back at my early piano days and become immensely grateful for her kindness and patience because this was something rare. Not many people would have been able to tolerate my behaviour at the time. Her patience transformed the room into a safe environment where I could make mistakes and learn from them. She helped me grow my love for music. If it were not for her, I would have never considered pursuing other instruments, let alone music in general.

A good mentor is someone who does not coddle you all the way. As I got older, she pushed me more. More than what I thought I was capable of. There were times where I was utterly frustrated with her, but at the end of the day, I knew she pushed me out of love and wanted me to succeed as a pianist. My piano teacher also inspired me to become a better pianist. Before my lessons would begin, I would hear her play the most beautiful pieces of music. They were so graceful and angelic, I hoped that one day I would be as talented as her.

Not only was she a great mentor in music, but she was also a great mentor outside of music. She was always available to talk to in and outside of lessons. I formed a strong and trusting relationship with her, and I knew that I would be welcomed by her warm and kind presence in every class. I remember telling her that I wanted to try other instruments. I was so afraid of telling her because I didn’t want to disappoint her. She had the opposite reaction than what I expected. She was so happy that I wanted to try different instruments, and she supported me through every step. She even went to one of my first guitar exams and congratulated me.

- Janice Ho