You Ready For Your Solo And Last Concert

Once high school started, I got way more into band than I had been previously. Because there are so many people at the high school the department is split into two bands, and we have to try out if we want to get into the better one. I wanted to be in the better one because my dad conducts it, so I practiced more than I usually did to have a higher chance. I made it in as last chair alto saxophone in the symphonic band, with all the other saxophones being some of the

On the evening of Sunday, December 16, 2012, I had the pleasure of attending a concert I’d wanted to see for quite a while. I was delighted to attend Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, performed by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the Richmond Ballet. The performance took place at Carpenter Theatre in Richmond Virginia. As I entered I felt a bit out of place. I’d never attended a performance quite like this one and I was a bit nervous. I took my seat to the left of the orchestra pit. I was thrilled to see how close I was. I had arranged for a seat near the orchestra so I could observe them as they played.

My involvement in the school band started during my 4th grade year, and continued until I graduated highschool. I was a part of the concert band every year, and in addition I played on the drum-line and in Jazz Band. While playing and learning in these classes over the years, I developed a strong interest in turning my love for music into a career. Towards the end of highschool, I was introduced to the engineering/post-production side of music composition; which lead to more ideas for my potential

Music has always been an important element in my life. As I look back, I have always loved singing and playing instruments. During my high school years, I participated in marching band, concert band, and show choir. When I was in elementary school I learned how to play the piano and in 6th grade I joined the school band to learn to play the flute. I continued playing the flute in middle school and into high school. In 4th grade I joined the school choir and continued that through high school as well. In high school, I spent a lot more time in show choir than I did in band due to scheduling and personal interest.

In case of interests, there is one interest in the field of music that I kept for the sake of it. Throughout my school years, I played for the band of Broken Arrow, specifically just the traditional band rather than the Pride of Broken Arrow. When I first joined the band around 6th grade, I started off playing the trumpet, but due to overplaying at multiple intervals, I was switched to the French horn, which I played up to what is currently my senior year in high school.

After listening to them rehearse Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture, I went up to find a cello box in front of the orchestra. I thought to myself, “Great. I’m already afraid of heights, and now I will be sitting another half foot above the ground on the edge of the stage. If I fall off, that’s another half of a foot.” Anna arranged it so that I would play on a cello box so that my sound could project out. The thing we dreaded the most was the idea of my sound being drowned out by the orchestra. It wasn’t as difficult as the first rehearsal because I knew what to expect, but it was still physically difficult. I also experienced the most painful hand cramp while I was up playing, and with the weirdest bow hold, I played through the rest of the rehearsal. Luckily, Anna was there to tell my conductor, Dr. Cobbs, how I wanted the piece to be and the more we rehearsed, the better we sounded.

Can you hear it? The conductor taps his baton to ready the orchestra. The audience’s silence is deafening. Slowly, the first strings are played. Soon, the oboe and the flute join in. With a roar and a crash, the timpani and cymbals are struck. As the musicians bend and sway with the music, the crowd is drawn into the magic of the melody. Each movement of the composition is premeditated and exact. Over forty people have come together to play with one calculated mind. They are the orchestra.

In tenth grade a new band teacher, Mr. Avi came around with an enthusiasm for music, I never saw with Mrs Becca. Avi would instruct the band to play something and If we were not sounding our best he would express it by tstomp heavily, and yelling “No, No,No!”. he would run to his tuba and start playing the rhythm for us. His eyebrows lift up dramatically synchronizing with every breath he took. Music was becoming less of a class to pass and more of a enjoyable place. I would get a new piece of music in school, run home and practice on my trombone. Through eleventh grade I joined Longy and boston conservatory. I started walking around listening to bands and orchestras on my ipod and imagining myself playing with them, moving my hands in the same motion as if I were playing my trombone. Whenever I felt stressed or excited about anything I would run to my Trombone. Whatever I heard about how to become a better at trombone player, the advice went in both ears and just stuck.

One phrase to describe myself would be: an athletic musician. I am a sufficient cross country runner, wrestler, and MMA fighter in the evening, but during the day I am a musician. I am self-taught in 3 instruments, the violin, the trumpet, and the guitar. I have also been playing the trumpet for 5 years, the violin for 8, and the guitar for 1. I am apart of my high schools marching band, jazz band, and concert band. I play the trumpet in all three music groups. Music has always been a significant part of my life and I plan to keep it instilled for the rest of it. Since my school began providing iPads to faculty and students, I used an app in which I could compose my own music. Using this app further augmented my love and knowledge for music.

    Breaking the tense silence in the room, the first note by a cello was played, filling the room with chills and captivating everyone's attention, including myself. The loud and deep roar of a cello made you forget about everything you were thinking of, and it hooked the audience in a split second. The uncertainty of what

When I was little, I stumbled across the soundtrack of an Italian film titled Cinema Paradiso. I began to fall in love with the narrative aspects that were portrayed through the music. Every time the soundtrack played, beauty and hope rushed through my veins. It felt as if I was being nurtured by its warm-hearted tone. I would lie on my bed with my eyes shut, listening to the soundtrack for hours. I imagined myself conducting an orchestra in a crowd filled auditorium, voicing my own stories. I knew that music was what I wanted to do and that it was my only escape from what I called home.

Because of that, I started to put most of my attention into music and art. I fell in love with my violin. I played every chance I got. I missed lunches and study halls just to practice my violin with my teacher. I thought nothing could be better than the feeling of playing my violin.

The warm up room was the most nerve-wracking stage of preparing to perform. Everyone was shakily breathing and looking around anxiously at each other, even our director was visibly shaking. At this point we were at the edge of our seats, absorbing every last minute correction and word of encouragement offered to us before we took the stage. We sat in silence for a few moments to process what was about to take place. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us considering the way our band program organizes things; it was almost a given that we would not be coming back anytime soon. Likewise, our director told us that this will be the highlight of his entire career, his proudest moment, and I will be forever grateful to have been a part of one of his most cherished memories.

Click, click, THUD, RING! The rusty old halls off Thorogood rung out with the noises of doors shutting, the clitter clatter of high heels across the slippery brown tiled floors, bells ringing leaving an echo through the halls, almost like a symphony. The conductor, Dr.Bell had just walked through the doorway. “WELCOME TO WEEK 27 OF SCHOOL.” she said with a loud booming voice that rang off of every colorful painted cinder block wall. “Today is the day we have been training for...” The room got silent and by the looks of my classmates they were as querulous and appalled as I. “Today will be the day I determine my All City orchestra group” A gasp fell across the classroom. Whispers and murmurs of, “I hope she chooses me!” and, “I've always dreamed of performing on stage, will this be my chance to?” spread about in moments until, “SILENT!

We are a small school in a large world, but it is easy to witness even a small orchestra swaying to the urge of the conductor and realize beauty. Our school’s musical teachers urge this upon us - the silence after a performance, where every person in the room - musician, conductor, listener - stills, holding their breath, captivated by what just happened. My orchestra teacher says that it is beauty in its purest form, and it is one of the few truths in this world. I have seen music bring people to tears; I have seen the stoic swoon to the caress of Grieg’s melodies, and the shy fall in love to a slow song. I love my community for supporting all of these activities full-heartedly with a new, gorgeous school and fine arts center. The purpose