When I say that I teach bass, the most common response is, 'Well, I suppose it pays the bills' as though teaching was something to be avoided if at all possible, and was only the last hope for an utterly failed musician. I do, I really enjoy it. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to watch a student progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced under my guiding hand and watchful eye. There's actually a little more to it than that, as I think music is one of the most therapeutic of pastimes. It teaches people how to communicate, how to listen and react, how to fulfill a role when that's what's required and how to be free and express themselves in a non-verbal way.
Music is liberating, inspirational, and motivating.
Or should I say that it can be. It can also be a very negative thing in someone's life. If the pursuit of musical excellence is turned into some kind of competition or sport, music can lead to the same feelings of inferiority as does the over emphasizing of the value of academic achievements, or sports day in an over competitive school. Music can be yet another way of telling someone that they'll never be good at anything, because they can't play fast enough, read music well enough, or improvise over difficult chord changes. I have always sought to leave a student feeling they had accomplished something by coming to a lesson.