I watched intently as Dr. Sedatole queued the chime duet at the beginning of the second movement from H. Owen Reed 's “La Fiesta Mexicana”. It was at this moment that, for the first time, I remember feeling no stress, anxiety, fear, or nervousness on stage. “Mass” is the name of this movement, and it brilliantly features specific instruments symbolizing different notable parts of a catholic mass. I loved this movement, and this piece more than anything I had ever performed, and I truly enjoyed each moment I spent rehearsing and performing it.
After two days with our clinician, Dr. Kevin Sedatole from Michigan State University, my high school’s wind ensemble performed “La Fiesta Mexicana” at the North Texas Premier Pre-UIL Festival. This clinic was my favorite memory from band last year, as I gained an appreciation and connection to the music that I had not yet experienced. Knowing what each percussive instrument I played symbolized in the piece made me feel like I was not just a part of the music, but a part of the story that Reed was telling. My chimes were the church bells drawing people in for Mass, the woodblocks were trotting horses, and the marimba represented the bass in a mariachi band.
Our wind ensemble performed this piece many times that spring, and each time enhanced my love for music more than I thought was possible. I believe that “La Fiesta Mexicana” played a major role in what prompted me to audition for the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and take music more seriously in general. I had found a passion for music in middle school, but I now have a passion for performing, and performing as much as possible.
As I further my education, I will study clinical psychology with a goal to go to medical school. Although I will not be majoring in music, I look forward to keeping my passion and utilizing my skill in as many ways as I can. I will audition for the marching band at my college, and I will continue working on my first studio album with my band, “Grits”. My main personal goal is to make a difference in the lives of people struggling with their mental health, and to keep playing drums and piano for the rest of my life. The schools I am looking at all have top tier psychology programs that I won't be able to attend without scholarship opportunities like this one. I am hoping to be awarded this scholarship so that I can pursue my dreams of helping others while continuing my growing passion for music.
Musical Achievements List:
During my freshman year (2021-2022) I had a solo in our UIL Marching Band show and I made my school’s top wind ensemble.
The next year (2022 - 2023) I was named the Front Ensemble Section Leader, and I played drum-set for the jazz band and musical theatre production, “Mamma Mia!”.
During my junior year (2023 - 2024), I was named percussion co-captain, first chair in my school’s wind ensemble, and first chair All-Region Honor Band. I also played drums for the Lake Highlands show choir, and the musical production, “The Little Mermaid”. I was awarded the Lake Highlands band’s “outstanding junior” award.
This year (2024 - 2025) I am the percussion captain, pianist/percussionist for the wind ensemble, percussionist for the top Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, second chair All-Region Wind Ensemble, and I made All-Area. I also play drum-set for the show choir, musical theatre, jazz band, and local rock band, Grits.
I have been playing saxophone ever since 2018 when I was in sixth grade. I have put in a tremendous amount of hours towards musicianship during my high school career, and I have loved every moment of these experiences. Each summer I have looked forward to the start of marching season. Putting together a marching band show is a very long process with an incredible amount of work, but it is always rewarding to see the fruits of our hard work pay off once our performance is perfected. During my junior and senior years in high school, our marching band qualified for area level finals of the state marching contest. This is something that we had not accomplished in over 10 years, and we were very proud of our achievement. Individually, a noteworthy musical experience of mine was moving up from the third concert ensemble to the second concert ensemble, and then ultimately to our renowned top concert ensemble. That hard work also allowed me to qualify for the All-Region band my junior and senior years, which is a very competitive and a prestigious honor.
These were all amazing experiences, but they cannot compare to one very special memorable musical experience. When I was a high school sophomore one of my grandads suddenly passed away right before Thanksgiving in 2022. My family was devastated, and I wanted to honor him in a very special way at his memorial service. I came up with the idea that I could play a saxophone solo to honor him, so I taught myself how to play his favorite Christmas song - “Mary Did You Know”. I had to search for the music online and then transposed it over to saxophone notes. I also taught my twelve year old brother (who had just started learning the saxophone) how to play an accompaniment portion of the song so that he could also participate in this special tribute to our grandfather. We spent a lot of time over the next few weeks preparing and practicing for this special occasion. When it was time for the service, I was nervous but we played the song really well. Afterwards, many people in attendance complimented us, saying that what we did was really sweet and that we played it amazingly well. As I continue to miss my grandad to this day, I am so happy that I could honor him in a very personal way with my musical gift.
This scholarship would have a huge impact on my musicianship in college. I desire to continue playing my saxophone in my college marching band, and I am specifically applying to colleges with excellent marching band programs. One of the universities in which I have been accepted has such a program, and I was able to meet with the head band director in 2024. Talking with him made me very excited to pursue college marching band. I have always loved being part of the entire marching band and working together with every band member to prepare a high quality marching show. I feel that this would really enhance my college experience. I would very much like to attend this school and participate in the marching band, but it is an out of state university for me. The costs are beyond what my family can contribute. Obtaining this scholarship would assist me with the costs to attend this dream school and participate in the highly regarded band program, so thank you for considering me for this scholarship!
