Musician Visits Abandoned Music School after 28 Years and Finds Message Left by His Teacher – Story of the Day

A poor street musician decided to visit the old music school he left almost three decades ago, only to find a note from his former teacher. Realizing his mistake from years back, he tried to find his teacher in hopes of making things right.

Jared was a gifted musician who played the piano wonderfully. He had a worn-down electric keyboard which he took to the streets and made a living out of by asking for tips.

Jared was once a true virtuoso at his music school and his teachers had high hopes for him. Although he was an orphan, he was given a full scholarship at the music school near the orphanage where he took his classes every day.

Growing up, Jared's favorite teacher was Mr. Green. He paid extra attention to Jared, knowing the kid had potential. By the time Jared was in Grade 12, Mr. Green booked him slots at several recitals so top music schools in the country could discover him.

One day, a man approached Jared and Mr. Green after a recital. He introduced himself as a university lecturer and invited Jared to study with them at their conservatory, free of charge.

Jared couldn't believe what he was hearing, as it was the first full scholarship offer he had received from a university. It was his biggest dream to study music and was delighted that he was given the opportunity to do so.

"I don't think we should rush on accepting that offer, Jared. There are many more recitals you're going to do, and many more admissions officers you're going to impress," Mr. Green said.

Jared shook his head. "This offer is already good enough. If I don't accept it, I might not be given the chance again," he told his mentor. That night, his mind was set on attending the conservatory.

The following day, Jared told Mr. Green to call the admissions officer to accept the offer. But Mr. Green shook his head and said he had already turned it down.

"You're not going anywhere, Jared. I told them you won't be studying there so they've given the scholarship offer to somebody else," Mr. Green told him. He was preparing to show Jared something, but the boy suddenly burst in anger.

"How dare you make that decision for me!" he yelled at his teacher. "You're just jealous! You once told me you dreamt of studying there. Now that I have the opportunity to do so, you turned it down because I succeeded while you didn't!"

Jared stormed out of the room and never returned to the music school. Mr. Green tried finding him at the orphanage, but the director said he skipped town and moved to another city without disclosing where he was going.

Through the years, Jared remained a passionate musician. While he never made it big, he would perform on the streets and sometimes be asked to play the piano at bars and restaurants.

One particular gig was at the town where his old school was. He was paid a good amount and was delighted to return to the city, despite it once causing him immense pain.

While he was there, he decided to visit his old music school, which had become an abandoned building, filled with vines and smoke stains. Curious, he entered the building and visited his old classroom. He walked passed his old desk and opened his locker, which was still under his name.

"I guess I remained one of their top students," Jared said to himself.

Mr. Green once told him that their top students got to keep their lockers for life, serving as inspiration for other students to keep striving for the best.

Jared opened the locker, and he saw a dusty, sealed envelope with his name. "In case you come back" was also written on the envelope.

Curious, he quickly opened the envelope and saw a lengthy letter. It read:

"Dear Jared,

Just in case you come back, I hope you find this letter. I'm sorry I didn't speak clearer during our last meeting. You see, I didn't just refuse that scholarship offer for no reason. I knew you deserved more, son.

You are a virtuoso. If you accepted that scholarship, you would've been tied down for a couple of years, studying what you already know.

I refused the man's offer because one of the best production centers in the United States wanted to hire you. They wanted you to work for them and create music with them while providing you a full scholarship to the top music school in the country, which is a couple of blocks away from their office.

If you ever read this, below is their address. Please contact them. We will wait for you! Mr. Green."

As soon as he read the letter, Jared felt guilty for yelling at Mr. Green. He realized his mentor had only wanted what was best for him, yet he shut him out right away.

Jared traveled to the production center, which was in New York City, about an hour bus ride from where he was. When he got there, he asked people if they knew a certain "Mr. James Green," hoping he'd come across his mentor there.

The first few people he asked had not heard of Mr. Green, but he eventually saw a few older executives who knew who he was. "I'm Jared Dickens, I was a student of Mr. Green's almost three decades ago. He left me this letter which I only found now... I was hoping I'd find him here," he explained.

Oh, you're the virtuoso he kept raving about!" Mr. Stephens, who worked closely with Mr. Green, exclaimed. "We waited years for you, but you never showed up. Unfortunately, Mr. Green died of a terminal illness five years ago. I still keep in touch with his family, though," he revealed.

Jared's heart stopped for a second upon learning of Mr. Green's passing. He hoped to get the chance to apologize to him in person, but he was too late.

"Well, since you're here already, how about you play some songs for us? We're still looking for new producers and composers," Mr. Stephens told Jared. He agreed, and he played a couple of songs for them.

Mr. Stephens and his fellow executives were impressed by Jared's talent. In fact, they've never met a virtuoso quite like Jared. They finally found a virtuoso that would help them create memorable music millions of people would enjoy listening to.

In no time, Jared was given a job at the production company. He no longer had to play on the streets and earned enough money to get himself a comfortable apartment in the heart of New York City.

Although he could no longer thank Mr. Green personally, he made sure to look for his family and cared for them for the rest of his life. They became his second family, and they'd often get together on special occasions.

What can we learn from this story?

• The people who care for you will always have the best intentions. Mr. Green looked out for Jared and treated him like a son. Although Jared thought Mr. Green deceived him at one point, he found out that his mentor had nothing but the best intentions for him as he wanted him to succeed.
• Be patient and let the blessings flow. Jared wanted to rush into accepting the first scholarship offer he received, thinking it was the only opportunity he'd ever have. In the end, his impatience led him to lose better opportunities that were about to arrive in his life.

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