GUEST BLOGGER: Jessica Sherer, Lead & Flute Teaching Artist, Atlanta Music Project

A couple of months ago, I was given the distinct honor of speaking about my experience with the Atlanta Music Project and directing some of the students in a performance at TEDxCentennialParkWomen.  I’ve been listening to TED talks for years — any time I need motivation or perspective, TED.com is one of the first places I look, so needless to say I was a little intimidated at the idea of giving a talk myself.

What could I possibly say that would be of value to the audience?  But as the TEDx organizers guided me through the process, I realized that it was not about conveying information.  They wanted to know my story – our story – and how it could impact the world.Well, that was easy.  With these amazing young musicians sharing the stage with me, the impact of AMP was clear.

It was truly an amazing experience to share with the audience what drew me to the program and how it changed the trajectory of my own professional life, and then to provide a living, breathing example of what it can do through the students’ performance.

They were professional, polished, and polite.  You would never know from watching them that most of them were brand new to the program – they performed like seasoned professionals!

I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to work with this amazing group of young people.  Many thanks to Dantes [AMP’s Co-Founder] for giving me the opportunity to represent AMP on the TEDx stage.  I can’t wait to see what’s up next!

All photos, except group picture, are courtesy of TEDxCentennialParkWomen.