When I reflect on the past, the present, and continue planning my future, everything begins and ends in music. From the little girl on Christmas morning, proudly showing off her first gift— an American Girl Doll flute that mimicked her own— to the proud young woman I am today, performing concertos and participating in competitions, music will always be everything to me. However, as shocking as this sounds in comparison, music— for a large portion of my life— was never something I could have imagined myself making a career out of. Music has never been accessible to me. Growing up in rural Eastern Montana, the music scene has never been overwhelmingly huge, and within Miles City, my small town, there's not one single person who teaches flute. As a young musician, I knew that if music was something I truly wanted to pursue, I would have to work twice as hard for it. Proving true nowadays, music has forced me out of my comfort zone, making me consistently dedicate myself simply to be a part of many groups and ensembles. Most weeks I often drive around 4-8 hours just to attend symphony rehearsal and lessons. Without such intense passion for music, I would have likely given up without even truly beginning my musical journey. Not only has music taught me dedication, but also independence. Being the only person on a part has forced me to be reliable, always showing up to play my role. Aside from this, music has been the base of some of my most meaningful friendships and connections. Every day I am constantly inspired by the musicians around me, and I am so grateful for the musical community that I have found myself in. Overall, music has made such a lasting impact on my personal growth and development as a whole. After completing my degree, I hope to continue challenging myself and helping others. I aim to be part of a professional orchestra, continuing to find joy and growth in playing flute and making friendships and connections along the way. Additionally, my dream is to travel the world performing, experiencing a variety of different musical scenes and cultures. I hope to elevate the voices of others through music, whilst also expressing my own. I plan to open up my own flute studio, inspiring and encouraging others, and sharing the same joy and love for music that others have shared with me. I hope to use my education to leave a lasting impact on not only the music scene, but my community as a whole, doing what I can to fix the shaky structure of music education in towns just like mine. Music has taught me many things: independence, communication, reliability, but what music couldn't simply teach me was passion. Throughout my life, I have had to consistently dedicate myself to music just to have the same opportunities that many students take for granted. However, this drive has lead me to become a better person and musician, and when looking back on my situation, I couldn't wish for anything different. My struggles and disadvantages have taught me true passion, shaping the young woman that I am today.

The town of Miles City is small, home to a thriving cattle ranching community, a singular high school band, and typically several feet of snow. Growing up in the music desert that is rural eastern Montana, I never imagined that I could pursue my dream of a music career. Yet, I consistently prioritized flute, simply because I loved it. In late 2024, halfway into the season and with little expectations, I paid the seventy-five-dollar down payment and drove two hours to the basement of a flutist whose name I barely knew. Now, I make that same trip every Friday. Although I would have never believed that music could be my future, that decision truly changed my life for the best. The flutist I mentioned previously, Lauren, is an incredible young professional flute and piccolo player whom I admire tremendously. I've taken lessons from her for a year and a half, but everything done for me has been more than enough. In such a short time, she has taught me not only vital lessons about flute, but also confidence, passion, and the joy in chasing and achieving my dreams. Through everything, she has supported me indiscriminately. Whether it's a lesson turned therapy session, or a celebration of achievements, Lauren has always been there. However, some qualities can't be taught; they can only be modeled and encouraged. Dedication is one quality that Lauren can't teach. Living in such a musically desolate area, dedication to musicianship and achieving my dream was, for a long time, the only thing continuing to push me forward. Lauren didn't have to teach me to love music or continue challenging myself; it was my ambition that got me to her and created the opportunities I have now. From my very first solo, using a sixty-dollar flute from Wish, squeaking out notes in the musty practice rooms of my high school, to my first winter recital. As I listened through the other performances, I realized how far behind I was compared to everyone else, everyone else who had the opportunity to begin young, who had never had to doubt whether they could find the help they needed. Placing a bandaid over the red, irritated side of my hand where my flute lays, I found the balance between achieving greatness and burning out. Enduring everything, I found joy during my very first symphony performance, tearing up during Saint-Sëans, thinking "This is where I am supposed to be". Despite the many difficulties I've endured, I've never stopped pursuing my dreams. After completing my degree, I hope to continue challenging myself and helping others. I aim to be part of a professional orchestra, continuing to find joy and magic in playing flute and making friendships and connections along the way. Additionally, my dream is to travel the world performing, experiencing a variety of different musical scenes and cultures that I was never able to find within my hometown. I hope to elevate the voices of others through music, whilst also expressing my own. Lastly, I aspire to become what Lauren is to me. I plan to open up my own flute studio, inspiring and encouraging others, and sharing the same joy and love for music that I've experienced. When I reflect on the past, the present, and continue planning my future, everything begins and ends in music. From the little girl on Christmas morning, proudly showing off her first gift— an American Girl Doll flute that mimicked her own— to the proud young woman I am today, performing concertos and participating in competitions, music will always be everything to me.

In music, my entire career is a collaboration. Whether playing alongside an entire orchestra, with the other flutists or woodwinds in my section, or practicing solo repertoire, I am constantly working to become a better collaborator and, thus, a better musician. I could not list the many connections and friendships I've made through symphony, band, and even my singular year of choir. Music has united me with others, forming unbreakable, lifelong bonds that linger like a melody stuck in your head. When performing with others, there's an unspoken musical communication, pushing and pulling phrases, lifting your air up or down to match others perfectly. Oftentimes, just feeling and embracing the music with one another is such a powerful connection that musicians are able to match almost effortlessly. Music is an unbreakable bond, even between those who have never met, and —to me— the sound of two musicians who are so intertwined with one another is one of the most beautiful sounds ever. One of my favorite collaborative memories took place fairly recently. It began with a lengthy thread of emails, as fourteen anxious flutists debated whether or not to brave a snowstorm for a Saint Patrick's Day performance. Every one of us would later end up marching down the icy sidewalks of downtown Billings to reach the symphony office. An incredibly small audience ended up attending the event, but what truly mattered to us was coming together to create something beautiful and showing up for one another after everything. Afterwards, everybody gathered together in the lobby, people of different ages and backgrounds all laughing and chatting with one another, looking out of the window and watching snow fall on the parade outside. We walked back to our cars together, teenagers and elderly women discussing flutes, piccolos, and their dreams alike. This experience truly shows how unifying music has been for me. It's remarkable how it is able to unite people with one another regardless of their differences. I believe this is the best part of musicianship: throughout everything, we as musicians share a universal love for music and a desire to come together as a community to create and perform. Every day I am constantly inspired by the musicians around me, and I am so grateful for the musical community that I have found myself in. Collaboration is at the center of every positive experience music has brought me, and it will continue to play a key role in forming my future.