“No man is an island …” wrote English poet John Donne in 1623. In 2019, that idea is especially true in the world of music education. That said, it is easy for music teachers to feel like we are on our own island, guiding our students in our particular way. A few years ago, a colleague of mine became a certified Suzuki Teacher in flute, and now we often combine our studios for group classes. During these classes, our students build friendships outside of their own teacher’s studio. Just as important, we both learn from each other’s methods of instruction and, as a result, raise the level of both of our teaching skills. Because as independent music teachers, we spend so many hours on our own “island,” it can be joyous and nurturing to come together with colleagues for teacher development and other programs. I therefore encourage everyone to attend the upcoming Quad State Conference in the fall (see link in the VMTA calendar listing) and have your students participate in a collaborative event such as the Monster Concert. Use your teaching expertise to be part of the planning for VMTA. Volunteer to help. If you know music teachers who are not members and who rarely venture off of their “island,” encourage them to attend an event … or join VMTA! To create a musical community that thrives and is relevant in 2019, we all need to occasionally leave our island!