"Deep down in his very deepest of hearts, and with every fiber of his being, he wants what is best for the kids that he conducts. He wants them to live up to their full potential and knows how to help them get to that potential. When it is David Barg that is conducting/teaching, the bar is set incredibly high and the students always rise to the occasion far surpassing what any of them even thought was possible." Original Letter
"He sees That Thing inside each kid - the completely beautiful part of them that they're proud of, that makes them special. He also sees That Thing that they struggle with, and he somehow plays off the one to fix the other. I have seen him take a girl who had no confidence in herself and begin that transformation in her, so that at the end of the week she was truly standing straight and speaking her mind. I have seen him take the one kid in the orchestra who just did not care at all, and by the end of the week that kid was watching Barg closer than anyone else, breathing with everyone else ... doing an amazing job.
I have seen him take multiple kids who cared about nothing more than what the people around them thought, and turn them into leaders who could give instructions without second guessing themselves or collapsing into self-conscious laughter. He took me, a person who tended to look at a situation and be overwhelmed and paralyzed by it, and taught me how to take things step by step and find joy in small victories." Original Letter
I have seen him take multiple kids who cared about nothing more than what the people around them thought, and turn them into leaders who could give instructions without second guessing themselves or collapsing into self-conscious laughter. He took me, a person who tended to look at a situation and be overwhelmed and paralyzed by it, and taught me how to take things step by step and find joy in small victories." Original Letter
"It was great. I had never been a Concert Mistress before...Thank you for believing in me. Because now I am learning to believe in myself and follow my dream to be a famous violinist and bring joy to people just like you brought joy to me." Original Letter |
"I never got to thank you enough for what you said to me. Last summer I was acting like an idiot, and I needed someone to set me straight, and I am very fortunate that you did. Your advice, your exhortations really helped me see where I was, and where I needed to be, and I can't thank you enough for that." Original Letter
"He had told the orchestra that if anyone broke a string that he would definitely pay for it. He had said that before to all his orchestras because he wanted the kids to play louder and more aggressively. I broke the first string ever in his orchestra, and I was on top of the world. He kept his word too and paid me for the string.
Mr. Barg can make people almost die from laughter one instant and then he can make you act very serious the next. His personality makes people want to succeed and better themselves in the long run. He takes people aside when they're down and lifts them up. He is one of the nicest people somebody could ever meet." Original Letter |
"You made me realize that Ashley is confident, smart, passionate, powerful, and talented. You made me realize that Ashley can make a mistake and...there's no shame in that mistake. You also showed me that Ashley can change the world. I always could change the world, but I didn't know it until you showed me that part of myself. Thank you for being that person in my life who showed me something great." Original Letter