One of the happiest times as a professor came in the late 1980s when a graduate of Hamline University was assigned as my teaching assistant at SMU. Susanna Behr (now Etzel), a pianist and budding music historian, brought enormous energy, optimism, and creativity to everything she did. Suffice it to say that we made a pretty high-energy pair. Undergrads said they would clear the hall whenever the two of us came flying out of my office!
Susanna wrote her Master’s Thesis on an early 20th-century Czech composer named Jaroslav Jezek (1906-1942), a contemporary of George Gershwin. She conducted much of her research in Prague and fell in love with Czech culture. Not long after that, she fell in love with a terrific young man named Brent and they were married. After a few communications, I lost track of her.
You can imagine my joy when we reunited at the Midwest Conference, Cincinnati, in Spring 2010. She had located me as a Featured Speaker, and came right up to surprise me! Today she’s Susanna Etzel, with four children and, yes, she’s a homeschool mom! All of her energy, optimism, and creativity is being poured into her “four kiddos.” She and her husband make a powerful team.
I am honored that Susanna has become a guest writer for the Discovering Music Circle of Scholars. Her front-line skills in homeschooling, and her expertise in music and the Fine Arts make a powerful combination. Welcome aboard, Susanna.