Surprise Party!

 

After lamenting last post that my day was less than inspired, things took a welcome turn. For the third year in a row, my host Tonny threw a surprise party for me that truly was a surprise. The occasion was the 20^th anniversary of the first workshop I gave in China, in Beijing in 2006. 

 

Six years later, I returned again in 2012. Then gain in 2018 and again in 2024. After that last workshop, I noticed the six-year pattern and suggested to Tonny that at my age, he should not wait another six years! He took my advice and I returned in 2025 and here I am again in 2026. 

 

In the Shanghai workshop in 2024, the class gave me a surprise birthday party in honor of my “Chinese birthday” one month after my real one. In 2025, they surprised me again with a big cake and party honoring the 50 years I’d been teaching. I didn’t expect anything this year, but tonight, before beginning my Jazz Course in Hangzhou, they had a surprise banquet and presented a video retrospective honoring the 20^th Anniversary of my first course in China. First thing I noticed is that I pretty much am still wearing the same clothes from all those earlier photos! But once I got past that, I was so deeply moved by the tribute, especially from videos sent by Li Dana and Li Yanying, fellow elders who hosted me 20 years ago. The respect for teachers, the generosity of organizing such tributes, the sincere appreciation for the things I’ve brought to Chinese Orff Schulwerk that to my surprise, have proved to be useful and occasionally inspiring, is simply remarkable to me. The tears were freely flowing. 

 

To be honest, the timing was perfect. For whatever reason, I continue to be wholly energized teaching six hours a day for five days straight (as I just did) here in Hangzhou and before that, nine days in New Orleans. Inside, I feel wholly alive and present and new twists and turns with familiar material keep coming my way and that’s a delight. But outside the room where I’m teaching here, there’s a TV screen with a looping slide show of photos taken from that first course and I find myself thinking, “Who’s that old man?” And that’s not mere conjecture— I turn 75 in 12 days! How much longer can I do this? How much longer should I do this? 

 

I suppose time will tell. For now, as long as people continue to invite me and as long as it continues to bring me such happiness, I’ll keep going. Meanwhile, my deepest gratitude to the people and cultures who honor their teachers and understand the gifts of their elders. May it live on!