Do you define yourself by who you are, or by what you do? I have struggled with this question for years. It was particularly acute in 2016, when I left my teaching career to pursue my passion for music. Everywhere I went as a musician, I was being defined as a teacher who has this cute side gig as a musician. In my online travels, too, I find many people telling me how nice it must be to pursue a hobby like music now that I am retired and have free time. I will admit that I am irked by such comments. I didn't leave teaching to pursue a hobby. I worked 30 years at a job that enabled me to pursue my passion as a musician, a passion that has been with me as long as I can remember. I am not a teacher who plays music, rather, I am a musician who had a day job as a teacher. Since my middle teens, I have worked at writing songs and lyrics, developing a personal style of playing and performing, and connecting with other musicians when opportunity presents itself. I write a blog