Children are usually repelled by their parents’ passions. They choose to walk away from parental footsteps into a path that bypasses their genetic talents.

Wichita State Assistant Professor Mark Foley was no different.

Foley grew up in a musical household; his mother taught piano, and his father played jazz trombone. Eventually, his love of music won over and fulfilled his parents’ hopes.

“I wasn’t even that interested in music until I hit puberty,” he said. “I realized I had to be in a rock band.”

But it wasn’t until college that he began seeing music as more than a hobby.

He was studying physics at the University of Minnesota, and played electric bass on the side. Before social media, musicians were recruited by telephone. Foley’s was ringing off the hook.

“I was getting so much back from music, which is really rare,” he said.

Foley made pocket money playing gigs around Minneapolis. But after so much success, he decided to make music performance his career.

“I think the tipping point for me was thinking about what it would be like in 20 years if I didn’t try,” Foley said. “I knew I would just kick myself. I would be working in some cubicle and not happy.”

Dropping the practical physics major in lieu of a degree in performance can be seen as a pitfall. But Foley said positive thinking made him persist.

“I always had that really stupid optimism,” he said. Foley said that visualization was a key to battling self-doubt.

“The opportunity will knock and you won’t answer the door, because you can’t see yourself doing it,” he said.

Years later, he was playing string bass for the Rochester Philharmonic in Rochester, New York. He had earned a Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and was living the life of a professional performer.

Then the phone rang.

Wichita State had an emergency opening for a bass professor. The job came with a position performing with the Wichita Symphony. Foley saw his chance for something rare: a performance career that came with stability and benefits.

“I was like ‘Well, I haven’t seen a dentist in awhile. I should be on a dental plan,’” he said.

Foley said he thought his job would focus on performance, with a few university students on the side. He was surprised to find himself teaching all day, and rehearsing only in the evenings.

“I ended up really caring about the students,” Foley said. “I know my music is better because of working with students.”

Today, Foley is principal bass player in the Wichita Symphony and teaches theory, aural skills, music technology and bass at WSU. Students know him as a relaxed teacher who brings out the bright side of music.

“In my teaching, I have to create an environment where they (students) are not afraid to try,” Foley said.

But in the end, he said the best motivation comes from inside. A teacher can only do so much.

“Everyone that’s really good has this inner strength,” said Foley. “And that is where it (success) comes from.”