Music has always been an integral part of my life. The sounds of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Count Basie all helped shape my childhood. From the womb, I’ve been a loyal jazz enthusiast due to my mother’s habitual daily listening; it is no surprise that I became a jazz musician. My love of listening to music eventually blossomed into a love of playing music when, as a freshman, I joined my high school traditional jazz band, The Syncopating Sea Monkeys. I quickly learned that the best way to master the vocabulary of traditional jazz is through immersion and cataloging this music as part of my mental library. One pivotal experience with my high school band that bridged the concepts of both listening and performing was attending the Sacramento Hot Jazz Jubilee. The sheer amount of music being played over the long Labor Day weekend was transcendent. I was privileged to meet and play alongside world class musicians. A special moment occurred while sitting in for a set with Katie Cavera and the Lost Boys. My mental library awakened when I heard references to old recordings of the pioneers of jazz in professionals’ solos. I realized that for me, music doesn’t just feed the soul, but must also be expressed. This experience inspired me to actively engage with jazz music by giving it the attention and curiosity it deserves. This shift in perspective was profound because it defined my true calling as a musician. All of my performances, opportunities, and passion stemmed from this realization in my life and it revealed the answer to the “so what?” in the back of my mind: I can make a difference in the world playing my music. Soon after, I began mentoring younger musicians, volunteering my time through community service, and leading bands of my peers. An aspect of jazz performance that I hold in the highest regard is being able to serve others and connect with people through a shared experience, whether that involves entertaining, teaching students, or assisting in the community. Continuing my musical education would allow me to use my artistic skill to further focus my energy into service. Looking towards the future, I will be attending Loyola University New Orleans as a Jazz Studies major in the fall of 2026. I am incredibly excited to study at one of the best jazz programs in the United States and to have access to the thriving New Orleans jazz scene. While at Loyola, I plan on taking full advantage of the recording studios, jazz ensembles, on-campus music events, and networking opportunities. I am also eager to become a member of the working musician community in New Orleans and beyond. After graduation from Loyola, my goal is to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Instrumental Performance degree at the Frost School of Music. This extensive post-secondary education would provide the perfect foundation to fulfill my dream of becoming a music educator. Just as numerous musicians, teachers, and peers have inspired my growth as an artist, I hope to have the opportunity to give back to the music community by working to educate the next generation of artists. I’ve discovered that jazz is more significant than just personal virtuosity, it’s a collaborative effort among artists, and I am so excited to see how I can positively impact music in the future.

As someone raised on quality movies from a variety of different studios and time periods, I've always enjoyed watching movies casually. Just recently, I took a film studies class at my school where I learned about types of meaning within movies, cinematic techniques and the purpose they fulfill, as well as how to understand a narrative. I really enjoyed this class because I had the opportunity to watch and break down movies I had never seen before, as well as gain new knowledge about the movies I have seen. Some of my favorite films that were shown in the class were American Beauty, No Country for Old Men, Saving Private Ryan, 1917, Vengeance, and Memento. Each of these films had distinct cinematic techniques, narrative form, and used types of meaning in order to convey a message in different ways. While each of those movies affected me in various ways, I found myself impacted, much more strongly than the way any other movie has, after watching the film, Fight Club. This movie challenged societal norms such as consumerism, and shines a light on the identity issues that many men, especially in corporate America, struggle with. Fight Club delved deeply into various symptomatic meanings that can be found throughout the film, with the critique of materialism being one of the themes that spoke to me the most. The fact that modern American culture values money and material as a whole over fulfillment and purpose has been a major detriment to men and contributes to the issue of men being dependent on major corporations. This emasculating dependence is a major reason why so many men are trapped in an addiction cycle of drugs, alcoholism, and laziness. This focus on owning the nicest house, having the best car, and having the most expensive furniture ultimately makes men slaves to the office, slaves to debt, and slaves to their own possessions. One of my favorite quotes from Fight Club sums this idea up perfectly: "The things you own end up owning you". Fight Club did a great job hammering home the point that possessions cannot determine happiness or fulfillment. I enjoyed the cinematic effects and the way that these were used to advance the filmmaker's message. The use of flashbacks and the flashes of Tyler Durden on the screen in the beginning are very methodical, well thought out, and very interesting to think about. Overall, I would say this film is one of my all time favorites, and it certainly made me think about my world a little bit differently.

For me, music has always been a creative outlet that is an integral part of my life as a high schooler. Since I’ve started playing trombone in 5th grade, I’ve been on a journey that’s taken me to so many wonderful places and carried me through tough times. During the Coronavirus pandemic, music was one of the only things that remained stable through a time of uncertainty and frustration, especially with the distance learning situation. It was at this point that I discovered a passion for jazz and everything to do with the Roaring 20’s and beyond. While I was frustrated with quarantined learning, I always had the opportunity to pick up my horn and improve. Perhaps the greatest thing about music is that there is always something else to learn and something else to master. These possibilities allow me to find the drive and motivation from within to practice and work on all aspects of my playing. I find my greatest inspiration from artists such as John Allred, Jack Teagarden, and Kid Ory. I am also able to interact with legendary local jazz trombonists such as Brandon Au, Clint Baker, Dan Barrett. I look up to these musicians as they have helped me along my journey and taught me countless valuable lessons. As a high schooler, I’m blessed to be a part of the high school traditional jazz band, the Syncopating Sea Monkeys, and I have had numerous experiences playing with world class musicians. In 2023 I was part of a trip with the band to New Orleans where we got to meet the stars of the jazz scene such as Leroy Jones, and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. We also participated in clinics with professionals and even did some busking in Jackson Square on top of performing at a local jazz restaurant. This trip was the opportunity of a lifetime and I walked away with new knowledge about playing with an ensemble, learning about the history of jazz, and inspiration to continue to work hard towards my goals. I have also been a part of a jazz band outside of school for over one and a half years. I play with the Tower Bridge Trad jazz combo and the River City Swingers big band. In these bands I have opportunities to play with new and highly skilled musicians from across the region and participating in these bands has given me knowledge on playing music in a very professional setting and learning the tricks of the trade. In the future, I see myself continuing to strive for success and greatness in the jazz music world and it is my dream to go to college in New Orleans to study jazz. In order to make this dream a reality I have ventured outside of the organized bands I play in to make as many connections as possible and put myself out there. While my journey is far from over, I am thankful for how far I’ve come.

As a jazz trombonist, listening to live music is one of the most important things for learning how to develop a unique style on the trombone and a comprehensive understanding of the traditional jazz genre. Because Sacramento has one of the largest traditional jazz scenes in the United States, I've had numerous opportunities to watch and play with world-class musicians at many events. My relationship with music is unique because I not only enjoy listening to live music, but I have the opportunity to perform live music for an audience of people who love jazz. One of my first memories at a live jazz concert was September 11th, 2022, when Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra traveled to the Rio Americano High School. It was amazing to see some of the finest jazz players in the world visiting my hometown and playing outstanding music. At the end of the concert, I had the opportunity with some of the other members of my jazz band to take a photo with Wynton Marsalis and Vincent Gardner. Wynton Marsalis was also kind enough to sign my program. At this point, I was a freshman in my high school's traditional jazz band, and the exposure to jazz music that I was receiving acted as a catalyst for my passion and growth as both a player and a person. One of my favorite concert memories was during my trip to New Orleans, just recently for a traditional jazz camp, in June 2024. After the camp had concluded, I saw the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play at the Toulouse Theatre. After 7 days of learning from local professionals during the camp, it was mind-blowing to hear and understand what techniques the professionals were using to play in the traditional jazz style. This concert was one of my favorites because I was able to piece together so many pieces of knowledge that I learned from the camp just from watching and listening. One thing that I learned was that jazz isn't necessarily about the notes that you play, but more about expression and structure. I noticed that throughout the concert the soloists told a story through their instruments rather than just playing "at" the audience. The atmosphere in the Toulouse Theatre felt very genuine and was one of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans. Watching the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play gave me new inspiration to become the best trombonist that I can be. I look forward to listening to live music, especially live jazz, for the rest of my life. (In attached photo, I am with my younger sister who also loves jazz!).

For me, music has always been a creative outlet that is an integral part of my life as a high schooler. Since I’ve started playing trombone in 5th grade, I’ve been on a journey that’s taken me to so many wonderful places and carried me through tough times. During the Coronavirus pandemic, music was one of the only things that remained stable through a time of uncertainty and frustration, especially with the distance learning situation. It was at this point that I discovered a passion for jazz and everything to do with the Roaring 20’s and beyond. While I was frustrated with quarantined learning, I always had the opportunity to pick up my horn and improve. Perhaps the greatest thing about music is that there is always something else to learn and something else to master. These possibilities allow me to find the drive and motivation from within to practice and work on all aspects of my playing. I find my greatest inspiration from artists such as John Allred, Jack Teagarden, Kid Ory, Wycliffe Gordon and Tommy Dorsey. I am also able to interact with legendary local jazz trombonists such as Brandon Au, Clint Baker, Dan Barrett, and Bob Williams. I look up to these musicians and view them with the highest respect as they have helped me along my journey and taught me countless valuable lessons. As a high schooler, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the high school traditional jazz band, the Syncopating Sea Monkeys, and I have had numerous opportunities and experiences playing with world class musicians. In 2023 I was part of a trip with the jazz band to New Orleans where we got to meet the stars of the jazz scene such as Leroy Jones, and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. We also were able to participate in clinics with professionals and even did some busking in Jackson Square on top of performing at a local jazz restaurant. This trip was the opportunity of a lifetime and I walked away with new knowledge about playing with an ensemble, learning about the history of jazz, and inspiration to continue to work hard towards my goals. I have also been a part of a jazz band outside of school for over one and a half years. I play with the Tower Bridge Trad jazz combo and the River City Swingers big band which are both parts of Sacramento Youth Band. In these bands I have opportunities to play with new and highly skilled musicians from across the region and participating in these bands has given me knowledge on playing music in a very professional setting and learning the tricks of the trade. In order to broaden my horizons, I also picked up banjo as a full time instrument and play in the Syncopating Sea Monkeys with this instrument as well. Due to the major differences between banjo and trombone, having extensive knowledge on both instruments allows me to look at jazz music in a much more complete sense, with knowledge on both rhythm section and front line aspects of playing. In the future, I see myself continuing to strive for success and greatness in the jazz music world and it is my dream to go to college in New Orleans to study jazz. In order to make this dream a reality I have ventured outside of the organized bands I play in to make as many connections possible and put myself out there. While my journey is far from over, I am thankful for how far I’ve come.