Grant Woolard Memorial Scholarship

When I first became an oboist, I was young and simply really liked music. I didn't care about the technicality of playing, the career and performance aspect, or my future with the oboe, and I enjoyed the blissful ignorance of merely enjoying the music I was making. However, as I've grown with my playing over the years, so has my sense of purpose and passion. I play the oboe to liberate myself and want it to be an integral part of how I make a positive impact on society today. Being an artist to me means having the ability to express yourself. Emotions that can't be put into words are given power through notes in which you have the utmost control over how they should be displayed and perceived. Not only does being an artist mean having your own voice, but also it gives you an opportunity to be the voice for others as well. We have the power to use our mediums to make powerful products that advocate for equality and justice, even when our physical voices may not always be given priority. As a child, I wasn't the most vocal about the things I cared about or wanted to change. But this facet of artistry is something that really drives me to continue pursuing this passion and exploring the depths of what I can experience with it. Whether it be as big as using my music to influence change in the societal treatment of people of color, or as small as using performance to simply brighten someone's day, the ability to change someone or something for the better motivates me to keep going and work harder on perfecting my craft. At the end of the day, I want to be able to confidently say that with my music, I made a change in this world for the better. I would like to be able to increase minority participation in classical orchestras, and bless someone's life just as the programs beforehand had done for me. I feel as though with the path that I am on, one day I will be able to say that I made an impact, but I still have a long way to go. Music is powerful and is a big part of almost everything we hear on a daily basis. I want to show people that they too can have power with music. But most importantly, I want to use my music to make the world a more equal and diverse place so that every child in future generations can freely participate in the things they love and enjoy without barriers.