I took this photo today in front of Columbia University, where I now teach.
Every time I walk through this campus, I feel like I’m passing through old versions of myself.
- The teenager who heard an orchestra for the first time and thought, “Wait… people can actually do that?”
- The student who used to write what he thought were “pieces,” but were really just overgrown exercises.
- The composer who spent hours staring at blank staff paper, convinced that real artists didn’t get stuck like this.
Back then, none of this felt realistic.
To be part of a place like this. To be taken seriously. To walk into a classroom and not feel like an imposter in a borrowed suit.
And yet, here I am.
Not because I was some genius. (Far from it. Ask my ear training professors... i was AWFUL)
Not because I had a five-year plan.
But because i kept going.
- Kept writing terrible drafts. - Kept asking questions that didn’t always have answers. - Kept believing, even just a little, that the work itself might lead somewhere.
If you’re in the middle of figuring it out, just know you’re not behind.
It’s okay if your early pieces are messy. It’s okay if you still don’t feel “ready.”
I didn’t either.
The work is still worth it. And your future self will be glad you stuck with it.
Saad Haddad
I took this photo today in front of Columbia University, where I now teach.
Every time I walk through this campus, I feel like I’m passing through old versions of myself.
- The teenager who heard an orchestra for the first time and thought, “Wait… people can actually do that?”
- The student who used to write what he thought were “pieces,” but were really just overgrown exercises.
- The composer who spent hours staring at blank staff paper, convinced that real artists didn’t get stuck like this.
Back then, none of this felt realistic.
To be part of a place like this.
To be taken seriously.
To walk into a classroom and not feel like an imposter in a borrowed suit.
And yet, here I am.
Not because I was some genius. (Far from it. Ask my ear training professors... i was AWFUL)
Not because I had a five-year plan.
But because i kept going.
- Kept writing terrible drafts.
- Kept asking questions that didn’t always have answers.
- Kept believing, even just a little, that the work itself might lead somewhere.
If you’re in the middle of figuring it out, just know you’re not behind.
It’s okay if your early pieces are messy.
It’s okay if you still don’t feel “ready.”
I didn’t either.
The work is still worth it.
And your future self will be glad you stuck with it.
1 month ago | [YT] | 107