TIL that when Astor Piazzolla first met legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger (born today in 1887), he hid his tangos from her. She called him an idiot and told him "That is the real Piazzolla, never leave him."

Thinking about the formidable teacher Nadia Boulanger on her birthday. So many 20th-century greats studied with her, but the story of her first meeting with Piazzolla is my favorite.

He came to her wanting to be a "serious" classical composer and was ashamed of his tango background. She made him play one, and immediately recognized that his true, authentic voice was in that music, not in the classical pieces he was trying to imitate.

It's such a powerful lesson for any artist. She didn't just teach harmony; she taught honesty. She's a true hero of music.