Terence Fletcher is a horrific educator whose self-serving narrative of pushing students to greatness is a justification for his own sadistic impulses. While Fletcher cloaks his abuse in the legendary anecdote of Jo Jones throwing a cymbal at Charlie Parker, his actual track record reveals a trail of broken lives rather than musical masters. The suicide of his former star student, Sean Brum, which Fletcher dishonestly attributes to a car accident, exposes the fatal consequences of his methods. Fletcher does not nurture talent; he conducts a war of attrition, waiting to see who is strong enough to survive his cruelty. When Andrew finally delivers his brilliant solo, it is not because of Fletcher's pedagogical brilliance, but in spite of it. Andrew's performance is an act of defiance, a rebellion against Fletcher's attempt to humiliate him on stage. To call Fletcher a good teacher is to mistake survival for instruction; he is a predator who takes credit for the resilience of the prey he failed to destroy.■