Where It All Began…

In February of 2013, I was ten years old and a fifth grader about to visit the middle school that I would be attending in a few months. Going into this field trip, I knew that I had to make a choice: what would I do for my elective(s)?

I was pretty certain of what I would pick. Growing up with brass players who tried to get me excited about music, I knew that I had to continue the tradition of being in band even though I was not required. However, I did not want to follow in their exact footsteps. If I did this activity, I would have no idea about choosing which instrument I would want to play, nor would I be as eager to find out. However, little did I know that my life would change for the better that day.

When all of the fifth graders from my elementary school and a few others pulled into the middle school, we came in greeted by cheerleaders as we were escorted to the gym for a pep rally. Right away, I felt a little overwhelmed by seeing a new and larger place but also excited as I walked and anticipated the event with my friends. After we all settled in the gym bleachers, the pep rally began, and we were all welcomed and given lots of things to look forward to.

Throughout the event, the students from different electives gave various performances, including the drill team, choir, color guard, cheerleaders, and even some art and theater students talking to us about their electives. A lot of it sounded like fun, but I felt deep down that band would have to be my choice, so I tried my best to be excited for it when it was their turn to perform. They did play a few pieces together as a full ensemble, which I expected, but I was not resonating or feeling as connected with it at first. Then, the band showcased each instrument one by one so that we could all start thinking about which ones we wanted to try out for.

Because the flutes were the highest wind instrument and live at the top of the score, they went first, and I was not expecting to hear what I heard. I still cannot remember which piece the flute section played or whether it was in tune, but after hearing the first note, I was mesmerized, and I was blown away. Something about the sound, the upper register, or a mysterious component captivated me and made me fall in love. It was seconds after hearing that note and throughout the performance that I immediately knew that I wanted to play the flute, be good at it, and be a professional one day and play music for the rest of my life. At that moment, music – instrumental music to be more specific – became one of my biggest joys, and I wanted to play to both express that as a personal joy and to spread that joy and inspire others.

Shortly afterwards, my fate as a band kid was set, and I was very excited to see where this path would lead me. A few months later, we tried out the instruments, and I found out in June that I would indeed be a flute player. I was very happy and eager to get a flute, and since then, I have wanted to learn and grow as much as I could so that there will always be an everlasting joy.

Skipping forward to high school, I was thinking of college at an early point and was wondering what I would want to study after graduation. I thought of various careers, but in the end, I concluded that they would not be the best fit for me. I was stuck. Fortunately, a guest artist came to visit the band during my sophomore year, and there was a Q&A session where one of the directors asked whether the guest had any advice for graduating seniors. Quickly and without second thought, he told us all to do what we love, and in that moment, my heart immediately said “music.” There, I remembered the initial spark that I had and realized that I had always had it along the way, and that was how I found out that I wanted to be a musician.