“I started music when I was ten, but I began to really deeply study music around quarantine. I knew early on, though, that pursuing music professionally was something I wanted to do. I was told early on that no matter what level of professional you get to, you’re going to be doing some level of teaching. That’s why around May, I started a private lesson studio where I can teach others. I knew that being able to teach people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels would be an important skill. I’ve been teaching for a little over half a year at this point, and I can say it’s been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done thus far. Teaching is such a nuanced art on its own, but it becomes another necessary and complex part of developing true musicianship. I’ve personally really come to love teaching, and it’s really rewarding seeing the people I work with get better not necessarily because of me but because we worked on improving together. For anybody wanting to get into music, my biggest piece of advice would be to learn to love the process. You’re not going to get where you want to be all the time, and you’ll find more enjoyment in the process rather than constantly aiming for a result or destination,” Thomas Tran said.