I'm part of a family of billions. People I've never met, people who don't look or speak the same. Yet we're united as members of the world's family of musicians and artists. I'm from Detroit, Michigan, a place shaped by rich culture, deep history, and vast diversity, qualities that have built a community Detroiters take pride in. From a young age, I was taught the value of building relationships and connections. When music entered my life at 13, that lesson became even more pronounced. I immersed myself in the music scenes around me and quickly felt I had become apart of a special community. I've learned many lessons along the way. One collaborative experience that stands out was volunteering at a summer music camp for kids aged 4–12. These kids were starting to pick up instruments for the first time, with one shared goal: to play their set list by the end of the week. My job was to support them, teaching fundamentals and helping them navigate their instruments. But the biggest lessons weren't ones I had to teach. At the start of the week, the kids were quiet. They didn't know each other and were trying something new in a new place. Soon, I saw growth beyond just musical skill. If someone got lost in a song, the others helped them get back on track. When someone made a mistake or felt upset, others lifted them. By the end of the week, they'd formed real connections. We learned, even if the students didn't realize it yet, that making music together builds relationships and community. That experience deepened my understanding of how collaboration in music connects people and why that connection is so important. In August 2024, I learned my most powerful lesson in collaboration yet. Every year, Detroit hosts the world's largest free jazz festival: the Detroit Jazz Festival. That year, I got a call to perform. What I didn't expect was who I'd be playing with: students from Tottori, Japan, alongside a group of American students, including me. We had only a one-hour rehearsal before our performance. We didn't speak the same language, and we came from different musical backgrounds; I was nervous. The moment we began playing, I realized none of that mattered. We communicated through sound, expressed ourselves through notes, and connected through our shared love of music. The performance was powerful, and we're all still in contact today despite our language barrier and being 6,508 miles away. That experience showed me that music truly is a universal language and created opportunities to collaborate and come together. The world is in pain, but I've seen firsthand that music has the power to heal, to bridge divides, and to bring people together. Inspired by Pamela Branchini's life, I will continue to collaborate and create music, not just to perform, but to connect, to build community, and to bring light to a world that can feel so dark at times.

Music has been everything to me. When I was thirteen I decided to pick up guitar, something that would change my life forever. Soon after, I joined the program "The School of Rock," in Michigan. On top of taking three weekly lessons there I became a part of two ensembles, that place quickly became my second home. I struggled throughout my life to have a sense of belonging and a community I felt apart of. I always felt lost or out place when searching for that, and it took a toll on me. The moment I joined School of Rock, I finally found it. It was a safe place for me that was full of smiles, laughter and lots of love! Everyone was unique and had their differences, as well their own struggles. However, no matter how different we were from each other, we all loved music with all of our heart. It was music that brought us together and made us a family. We would spend our days playing hours upon hours of music together, gigging all across Metro Detroit. When we weren't playing music, we were talking about it or watching it. We enjoyed and played anything from John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder to Led Zeppelin and more. As I progressed through The School of Rock, I decided I wanted to give back to the music community, because I was so grateful for what it gave me. When The School of Rock was going through financial hardships, I stepped up and volunteered to teach nine summer camps, two weekly private lessons, and two weekly youth programs. One with ages ranging three-to-seven and one with the ages ranging seven-to-thirteen. Teaching the kids the wonders of music and watching them grow and fall in love with it was one of the biggest joys in the world. It was such a gift getting to see these kids find their place in the music just as I did. I was fulfilling when parents came up to me saying things like, their kid has never been so passionate about anything before. Then kids would tell me that I was inspiring them and that their favorite time of the week is when they get to play music. My teachers turned mentors at the The School of Rock had a tremendous impact on me, leading me to where I am today. They inspired and showed me to how to become a better musician and person every day. To know that I was continuing their impact to my students is something I will always cherish. In 2022, The School of Rock sadly closed down due to the lack of funds to repair the weather damage on the historic building. Even with the physical school gone, the community and family it built stayed together. The values and lessons we learned from our mentors and each other will stick with us for a life time. As for my future, I plan on obtaining my degree from Wayne State University in Jazz Studies to become a professional musician. I also will continue to give back to the music community through volunteering, mentoring, and working with programs, such as "Music Will," to help underserved children have access to music education and instruments. Inspired by Frank Vail's story, I will continue to make it my mission to spread joy through music. While our times on earth are temporary, our impacts will last for an eternity.