From the historic campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where the good, the true, and the beautiful are taught, nurtured, and honored, this is the Radio Free Hillsdale Hour, bringing the activity and education of the college to listeners across the country.

I spend a lot of time trying to fine-tune and as accurately as possible imagine how things are going to go.

But there's always some kind of disconnect between what I think is going to happen and what actually happens when human beings play instruments.

This is your host Scott Bertram. happens when human beings play instruments. This is your host, Scott Bertram.

Welcome to the Radio Free Hillsdale Hour, part of the Hillsdale College Podcast Network.

More at podcast.orgast.com.

Hillsdale.edu.

And that's Daniel Taki.

He is chairman and associate professor of music at Hillsdale College.

A fascinating, in-depth discussion later with Daniel about the process of writing and composing music.

First, we're joined by Dr. Richard Samuelson. He's Associate Professor of Government at Hillsdale in D.C.

Dr. Samuelson, thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me. Talking today about a piece you wrote over in the Washington

Examiner regarding events from a couple of months ago at this point, but ones that still

resonate in the education community, the situation going out at Thomas Jefferson High School

in Virginia and how they handled national merit scholars.

If people have forgotten or perhaps didn't hear about this story, what it was first breaking, remind people what situation is going out at Thomas Jefferson High School?

Well, basically, they decided they're not going to tell people their merit scholars because that would be unfair for those who are not merit scholars.

And the thought is it's unequal.

It will discourage people from working harder.

And therefore, they're not going to do it.

The problem with that is, it is on the other side, I'd say, is uncomfortable with the very idea of excellence.

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