“Playing with me today is a
living legend…” I sat up in my
seat. Did Victor just get introduced by
the bandleader as a living legend in front of this crowd of people? I have known Victor Lewis for a number of
years as part of our extended family. Yes,
I knew he was a jazz musician and a teacher.
We always manage to talk music and always planned to jam together. This, however, was the first time that we
actually saw him playing live. I have
always known the man first, so to hear that introduction…
I wonder if someone in the
future will refer to me in such a high accolade. I believe that at some point in our lives, we
all begin to wonder what our legacy will be and how other people will perceive
our lives and actions. Yes, along with
our friends, we are caught up at this point in our lives in providing for our
family, making sure that we have a roof over our children’s heads, there is
food on the table and clothes to wear.
From an initial point of view, we hope that the positive lessons we
teach our children have a positive impact on their lives and the lives of those
around them, and on to the next generation.
It is the lives of the people that we meet which we will not know what the
impact on their lives will be and where our legacy will be seen. Once we leave this planet, we all hope that
our eulogies contain the words to express how we felt we touched the lives of
those that we leave behind.
I thought about it as I was
listening to the music. What will my
legacy be and will I be around to reach legendary status? I looked on stage at the person sitting behind
the drum set, completely focused and fully alive in the moment of creating jazz
music. That is someone doing something
he loves. In addition, as a teacher at
the Mason Gross School of Music, there is the opportunity to give back to other
potential musicians, teaching and encouraging them to follow their dreams and
passions. The message is universal, be
consistent and persistent and have patience to reach your goals. After the performance, a small crowd of
aficionados gathered around this “living legend.” It was great to see, however, to me, I still
know him as just Victor.
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