I arrived on campus with no real sense of direction or idea for my life. However, during this drifting period, I realized that music brought me great comfort where nothing else could. I knew I wanted music to be a big part of my life, but I had no previous musical experience. Nonetheless, I felt music calling me and hoped it might be the next chapter in my life. So after an encouraging discussion with the department chair, I was fully convinced and bursting with hope. On that day I became a piano major and got straight to work. There was no question I had to outwork everyone around me to compete, so I welcomed a newfound motivation to my life. I began my journey with a course on piano basics and gradually gained confidence with scales. In music, I found that more time is spent practicing than anything else. Therefore, I had to quickly foster a sense of discipline in myself like never before. These changes were much easier to make after witnessing the abilities of my professors on their instruments. I was inspired to be as great, professional, and knowledgeable as all of them. At the end of my first semester, I was a completely different person. By my second semester, I went from constantly asking questions, to being approached by my classmates with questions. That gratifying feeling only fueled the fire under me and I pushed on even harder. The second semester I had my first piano recital, and my only goal leading up to it was to make sure no one could tell I had never played before. I was overjoyed to be told by instructors that the only indicators were my trembling hands on stage. Despite this, I still refused to call myself a musician at that point, because I knew I would let off the gas if I did. The third semester was perhaps the most significant. It was during this time that I made it my mission to become the hardest-working person I knew. As well as that, I recognized my immense gratitude for the music program that had given me a purpose I sought my whole life. Every course on my schedule was rigorous and made me an infinitely better musician than the previous semester. I was rounding out my musicianship by reading, writing, analyzing, singing, and performing all kinds of music. Only a year after beginning myself, I was teaching my very first piano student. It was a feat I was very proud of, though I still had to face my stage fright. So with the help of my professor, I set up some mock performances. Those opportunities gave me great confidence and valuable feedback. As a result, my second recital was a success and I was even offered a job accompanying a violinist at a wedding. Those achievements propelled me into the busiest summer of my life, full of practice and even more motivation. When I returned for my fourth semester, the LSC environment had completely altered my mindset. I now saw each day as an opportunity to improve, rather than something to get through. Thanks to all the performing on campus, it was now a passion, and I knew where I wanted to take my career. Throughout this improbable journey of mine, no instructor ever told me my aspirations were unrealistic. Instead, I was always reminded the job would take plenty of hard work. That kind of atmosphere shaped who I am today.