Show Notes

EP86: L.U.C.K. with Lisa Garner Santa, Professor of Flute and Artist-Performer

About the Guest

Dr. Lisa Garner Santa is an esteemed flutist and professor with a trajectory that has brought her experiences both locally and globally. With a musical and teaching journey that began in the small town of Colorado City, Texas, Dr. Garner Santa evolved into a world-class musician whose career has quite literally taken her around the world. She is notably acknowledged for her performances and her influential role as a Professor of Flute at Texas Tech University. Additionally, she holds the position of Director for the Institute for Faculty Excellence at Texas Tech’s Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center.

Summary

In this episode of “Becoming UnDone,” host Toby Brooks welcomes the multi-facetted Dr. Lisa Garner Santa, whose passion for music and teaching has led her down a path adorned with both accolades and adversities. Dr. Garner Santa shares her introspective reflections on growth, pedagogy, and the artistic pursuit — from the plains of West Texas to the top echelons of the music world.

Dr. Garner Santa reveals her roots in a tiny West Texas town and how her early influencers cultivated her burgeoning talents, leading to pivotal decisions that directed her towards music as her life’s work. Dodging obstacles and embracing opportunities, the episode encapsulates her resilient spirit. By intertwining insightful anecdotes from her life with practical wisdom, Dr. Garner Santa paints a vivid tableau of what it is to transform setbacks into milestones.

Key Takeaways

• Lisa Garner Santa’s initial passion for music was nurtured by meaningful mentorships and opportunities in her small-town upbringing.
• Her tenacity and self-belief led her to prestigious schools, international experiences, and to foreground performance as a career.

• Teaching emerged as a calling woven into her musical journey, influencing her deep commitment to students’ individual growth.

• Lisa Garner Santa’s resilience in facing academic adversity at prestigious institutions highlights the importance of self-advocacy.

• She embraces change and personal development, exemplified in her later pursuit of yoga, further enriching her teaching paradigm.

Notable Quotes

• “I haven’t left performing. It’s just, it looks a little different than it did at the beginning.” — Dr. Lisa Garner Santa

• “My coping mechanism was one that society rewards. And so that coping mechanism wasn’t the same for all of my students, was a real turning point in the way that I teach.” — Dr. Lisa Garner Santa

• “I’ve been working myself into a frenzy. And does anyone even notice? So I was on one of those downward swings in academia. So I was like, you know what? I’m going to become a yoga teacher.” — Dr. Lisa Garner Santa

• “I came from this tiny town. I’ve gone to these schools. I haven’t had classes like the classes that you’re offering. I believe in my ability to do well at your school, and I would really appreciate an opportunity to prove that.” — Dr. Lisa Garner Santa

• “Everything that you need to know, and you just have to believe it.” — Dr. Lisa Garner Santa, in advice to her younger self

Resources

• Follow Dr. Lisa Garner Santa on her journey through her position as Professor of Flute at Texas Tech University.

• Discover more about the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she faced and overcame academic adversity.

• Explore the transformative practices of yoga that Dr. Garner Santa has integrated into her life and teaching.

• Dive deep into the life and lessons of Dr. Lisa Garner Santa in this truly inspiring episode of “Becoming Undone.” Don’t miss out on the full story as Dr. Santa unveils her transformative journey. Stay tuned for more episodes packed with stories that redefine failure and success on the pathway to personal and professional growth.