The two best parts of this class were a movie (documentary, really) and a musician.

The documentary The Wasteland showed me an environment completely different from the one I am in, where workers don’t have many options, most either becoming physically degraded through their work as a prostitute or enduring the odors of a landfill as they recover recyclables.
After watching this documentary, I understand the wonderful position I am in with a myriad of opportunities everywhere I look.

A jazz pianist came to visit our class late in the semester. His name is Daniel Kelly and he gave some great advice for the improvement of life and music—both of which I heartily desire.

Job advice: “Your job will have bullshit, but if you do what you love, you can deal with it.”
Jazz advice: “Start with two notes and play jazz for just two minutes.”
Apparently I can learn a lot by restricting myself to the basics for a bit. It worked for him!