My Music Experience

I learned two instruments my Senior year. This experience has taught me that if you are truly committed to something, you can achieve it, even if you didn’t start young.

I've always been exposed to music because my mom went to school for musical theatre. I've been singing since I was less than two, and I started singing in a church choir in first grade. The first time I ever truly performed was in second grade, when I sang "Tomorrow" from Annie for my entire school in a competition called "North Street Idol." I have no clue what possessed me to do it, because I was just about as quiet, shy, and anxious as they come. My teeth were literally chattering after I finished, and I went into a state of shock when I found out that I won. That was a major stepping stone towards the eventual realization of my purpose, because although I was scared beyond belief, I also sort of enjoyed it.

Throughout my life, I have been taken by music. However, it was not until my 8th grade year in middle school that I realized that I could be a musician for the rest of my life. Before that, music just seemed like something to keep me out of trouble. I wasn’t the best player at that time, and I still knew very little about it all. How could something like that ever support someone? Still, it was the only talent that I could find any success in, and it was still very enjoyable, so I wanted to still give it a shot.

Growing up I was always around musicians, and music interested me, but I was always steered towards more academics. I finally got into music in High-School. It made me rather nervous because here I was sitting in a room with people who basically played instruments and sung within the womb, and I was unable to even read music. So at first I asked my friends who were all music aficionados. Every second thing that came out of my mouth was a question about music. What was tone? How do I play a scale? What is moderato? And how on earth was I going to catch up to these kids? So especially in band I took control and I took my French horn home every weekend and practiced for hours, determined to meet my high standards.

   When I moved back to Georgia the first time, I was placed into an orchestra class that made me feel like a 30 year-old woman stuck in first grade. I was uncomfortable with the fact that I wasn't being challenged and my love for music was slowly diminishing. It wasn't until I moved back to Virginia that I was put into one of the most highly-recognized high school orchestras in Chesapeake, Grassfield High School. My orchestra director, Mr. Vutsinas, pushed me to new heights of musicality that I did not know I could not

What inspired you to start singing/playing instruments? Was there a certain age, teacher, or someone you admire that kick started your musical career?

In the first grade, I picked up a clarinet. It was my sister’s, collecting dust while waiting for me to play it. From the moment I produced my first sound, an ear-piercing squeal that frightened my dog, the path of my life took a turn for the better. I began teaching myself for the following three years, along with learning from my sister how to properly play the beautiful instrument. The music pushed me out of my comfort zone: concerts that forced me onstage, tests that made me play difficult songs, and teachers that pushed me to be an exceptional player. From the shy elementary school student I used to be to the outgoing band member I take joy in being today, music has shaped my everyday life.

Orchestra has always been one of my favorite classes to go to during the day. After choosing to play the cello in middle school, I continued playing the instrument in high school. It was in this class that I had made most of my closest friends, many of whom I still love to this day. I also loved how the rich deep tones that came from playing each note of the cello and how they were able to blend with the rest of the orchestra. I knew from my freshmen year that I wanted to get into the top class, Chamber Orchestra. I thought that I would have done everything in my power to get into the class, however when the time came I could not even bring myself to audition.

Learning music was not a challenge for me, especially since I grew up in musically gifted families. Honestly math came easy for me, mostly because I was taught to keep up with the tempo of the music. Thankfully playing in the band came naturally for me and I liked the challenge in trying to learn an instrument. My school performed at a couple of competitions and a few concerts as well. I continued playing until my sophomore year in high school, I lost interest in high school; it seemed like it was more of a chore rather something to enjoy and the students made it difficult for me to perform so, I forced myself to leave. Before I quit the band in my sophomore year I joined the culinary arts club and the art society. I always loved making food, I started cooking around 6 to 7 years old under supervision of course. Slowly my parents had me help-out in the kitchen, then they let me practice making baked goods and later, they started to let cook by myself. I watched cooking shows too, and I would just read the cooking books for hours just to know if we had the ingredients

Like almost every other 3rd grader in my elementary school, when the enrichment program came to talk about joining the orchestra and band, I was fascinated. I admired the kids, not much older than me, who could play their instruments flawlessly and effortlessly. Immediately I knew that orchestra was for me, and I rushed home with a paper in hand begging my mom to let me take lessons at my school. Originally, I wanted to play the cello and pleaded with my mom to let me play one; I loved the deep, rich sounds of the strings. Instead, my mom convinced me to play the violin, a less expensive instrument and much easier to carry around than a cello.

In my sixth grade year, 2015, I was sitting on the couch reading a book. Suddenly, a scream rang out. As quick as a cheetah, my mom ran into our living room and showed me her computer’s email. Excitedly, I took the computer. On it, was a few sentences congratulating me on making ILMEA orchestra. It was a music festival with a choir, a band, and obviously, a orchestra. I was so excited, I had to call my teacher, Mrs. Lafranzo. So, no more than four months later, I was in my car heading to Oswego East High School for morning practice.

I have always loved music as long as I can remember. I remember the days when I would have to wake up extra early to go to school as a 7 year old because I had to go to my piano lesson two hours before school even started. My mom

In elementary, I was known as the best player for my patience and understanding of every piece we played in orchestra. “Your daughter is my best student in all 4 schools that I teach,” exclaimed my orchestra teacher, Ms. Nichols, to my mother. Ever since then, I have been practicing my violin every minute of every day. At the end of my sixth grade year, I received a letter stating that I have been invited to audition for the East Valley Youth Symphony. The desire I had to audition felt like someone hitting me with a hammer.The tears of joy that fell from my parents’ faces were overwhelming, but I knew there was no reason to celebrate because it wouldn’t be easy to get into. At that instant, I had a panic attack and couldn’t stop until the next morning.

In the beginning of the second semester in 8th grade, I decided to play the trombone in the jazz band, in addition to playing bass clarinet in the concert band. At one of our band festival competitions with the Association of Christian Schools International, our jazz band won first place and we performed once again at the closing ceremony for the all the schools that attended the festival to hear. But, I decided to stop playing the trombone following that second semester and focus on the bass clarinet. Still to this day, I am one of the two bass clarinet players in my band and I am continuing to enjoy doing it. Playing music has taught me that having a strong work ethic can help you accomplish anything. In addition to that, music has given me a newfound appreciation of many genres of music and to truly admire the work of many

When I first began playing the clarinet, eight years ago, I would have never expected it to impact my life in such a significant way, but it did and continues to each year. From the second that I picked up a clarinet and played a single note, I knew it was an experience like no other; music is a unique language, it speaks words that many can hear, and brings people of all races and religions together. Playing an instrument is a way of self-expression, both individually and as a group; bringing musicians together to create a work of art. I have experienced this throughout all eight years as a musician with students from my school, in both concert band and marching band, students from surrounding schools, during band fest, junior district band, and district band, as well as members of my church, at worship services. Music can bring the most unexpected