I spent a few days taking grueling tests and waiting in line for my turn to play in front of the judges. There were also written tests and ear-training tests. After 1 year of preparations, and non stop practicing, tears, and missing my mom - I did not get in.

I did not get in. 

But I was placed on the waiting list. Meaning that out of the two to three spots available for my grade, I did not make the final cut. However, if there had been more openings, they might have accepted me. The waiting list also meant that if someone who had been accepted dropped out, I could be admitted. If no one dropped out, they wanted me to come back the following year and try again. I was not as strong as the other students who were accepted. They simply chose the best.

Heavenly Music Rock Opera

I have been thinking a lot about intelligence lately.

In reading about standardized testing and IQ, I learned that these tests were originally created to identify children who might need support. But somewhere along the way, they became something else. They became a way to rank. To sort. To define worth.

And I keep asking myself:

What is intelligence?

Is survival intelligence different from book intelligence?
Is emotional intelligence different from academic intelligence?
Is memorizing information and getting an A the same as understanding something deeply?

As a music teacher, I see this every week.

I see students who cannot memorize quickly but can feel a phrase of music in a way that gives me chills. I see children who struggle with reading but can improvise melodies that are honest and alive. I see sensitivity, imagination, resilience — none of which can be captured by a standardized test.

Artificial intelligence can now write code, compose songs, generate images in seconds. It can solve mathematical problems faster than any human. Does that mean it is more intelligent? Maybe in one narrow category.

But intelligence without empathy? Without love? Without moral depth? What kind of intelligence is that?