In this article, the author discusses the influences teachers have on students. He states that music educators may not realize how profoundly they affect those they teach. This daily influence can be either positive or negative. Most music educators have had students come back years after they have been under their tutelage to tell them how much they appreciated their programs and their ability to make their school years enjoyable. He also says that one of the joys of teaching music is the opportunity to work with students over a long period. An English or math teacher may have a student for one semester of one year, but a music teacher can watch a student's growth and maturation, both musically and personally, across a span of years. It is a thrill and a joy to see students grow up, become young adults, and develop their musical abilities.