Joyce and Jim,

Thanks for the words from Bill Gates. That was great! I printed a copy for each of the kids.

Speaking of the kids, I'm not sure if I ever gave it to you or not, but every once in a while, while I was waiting for the kids to finish a piano lesson at your home, I'd sit out in the car in front of your home. As you know, I was going through a fairly stressful time in our family's life, and I would think about things that were going on, and still feel very blessed by all the good things that surrounded us. One evening, while sitting in the car, by the street light out front, I scribbled down a little poem about the time you and Jim had spent with Bradley, Korey, and Tommy. Originally, I had written it when only Bradley was there (missing his two front teeth), but I changed some words to cover all the kids. It's just a short little poem, but here it is, straight from my heart:

"A mere pittance for what you've done,
For hours and hours of musical fun.

Your love and patience for a child,
The truth was in their toothless smiles.

A caring person is hard to find,

Much less for two to be so kind.

Our kids say Thanks and so do we,
For now they'll grow up to be... and be."

I hope both of you are doing well. Things are going well here! Due to the Real Estate market slowing down, I've moved our office to my home office and am doing some other things to be more efficient. We'll ride it out, though.
Take care!

Sincerely,
Tom, Kelly, Bradley, Korey, and Tommy Sanders

Arizona State Univeristy

College of Education
Division of Curriculum and Instruction
Special Education
Tempe, Arizona 85287-2011
(602)965-6156

August 26, 1992

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing this letter of support for Joyce West from the perspective of a parent, student, and professional educator. First as a parent, I heartily support Ms. West's approach to music instruction. She worked with both of my children, Elizabeth age 8 and Patrick age 5, at a time when they were feeling defeated about music. Both children had been enrolled in programs designed for their respective ages, but not for their skill levels or interests. Ms. West, through much patience and instructional insight, brought both children today to where they enjoy learning and playing music on the keyboard. Ms. West was particularly inventice with my son. When she first met Patrick, he refused to even approach a keyboard. Ms. West played a variety of musical games with him to encourage him to enjoy music again. Ms. West individualized her approach to match the strengths of both children.

Secondly as a parent, I naturally was involved in my children's musical development. Unfortunately I had never had keyboard instruction. As I watched Ms. West instruct my children, I also became more interested in learning to play the keyboard. I am now a student of Ms. West's, too. She has guided my instruction in such a way that I am not only learning for myself, but am also able to assist my children in a more educated manner. Just as Ms. West adjusted her teaching style to meet the differing needs of my children, so too has she adjusted her style to fit my instructional needs. As an adult learner, I have appreciated Ms. West's approach very much.

Finally, as a professional educator, I recognize and appreciate the variety of instructional techniques employed by Ms. West. She is knowledgeable in her field and always prepared for each lesson. Ms. West professional, yet presents a very warm and open manner when instructing her students. She appears to genuinely like teaching and her positive attitude is reflected in the skills of her students.

If you have any questions or need further elaboration, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Kathleen M. McCoy, PhD
Associate Professor