This piece is called Corona Waltz. It was a choir assignment to compose a piece of music in place of performing during the lockdown. I made up the melody while singing in the shower, then I came up with the accompaniment at the piano. The piece was inspired by the gloom and doom I felt during the lockdown. The initial chord progression repetitiveness represents day-to-day life, cooped up in my house. I then modulated to the dominant key of D major. This modulation captured those brief reprieves when I went outside for walks around the neighborhood or in nature. It had almost a "fairytale" air to it. Inevitably, the fairytale had to end. I returned home, hence the return to the minor key.

I’m a student who generally excels in most subjects, be it science or mathematics or humanities. But none of them truly inspires me the way music does. It’s magical how singers can tell a story and imbue it with meaning and emotional resonance through notes and chords. The idea that someone could move me beyond words with only their voice is incredibly enticing. I started singing lessons at age eleven to help me with my anxiety. As a child with Asperger's (an Autism Spectrum Disorder), the idea of performing in front of people terrified me. It was for this reason I was hesitant to audition for my first show in eighth grade. Over 100 kids auditioned. At most, I thought I would get a supporting role. Imagine my surprise when I won the lead role of Horton the Elephant. The looming prospect of performing to an audience was daunting, but that all changed the first time I took to the stage. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Once we finished the show, I was hooked— I knew I wanted to keep performing. I’ve held true to that ever since. The following years included further lead roles, solos in school choir performances, new friends, and a real sense of achievement. As a freshman in high school, my number one goal was to audition for and be admitted to the Classical Vocal Ensemble Choir. I was one of two freshmen who were admitted that year. Leading the Madrigals Choir in a solo at the San Francisco Gold Festival as a Sophomore was a highlight of my high school career. Winning a Soloist Award and our choir winning the Best Chamber Choir category was icing on the cake. I hope to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre to prepare me for a career as a professional performer. Over the last four years, I’ve had lead or supporting roles in musicals with Christian Youth Theatre, Center Stage Productions, Luminary Arts, and school shows. I also served as tenor section leader of the RBHS Madrigals. Under Chaz Barcenilla, I studied classical vocal performance and music theory. I took Trinity College of London Music Certificate Exams in Classical Vocal Performance and Music Theory, achieving Distinctions at all levels. Rebecca Drake, my vocal coach, has helped me improve my musical theatre vocal skills and repertoire. As performers need to be well-rounded, I’ve taken dance classes, tap lessons, and drama workshops. Last summer, I was accepted into a New York-based audition-only summer intensive with professional Broadway performers such as Derek Klena. I have also participated in community service efforts, shared my singing talents with elderly citizens, helped students with Autism in performing arts improvisation classes, and assisted as an intern for the non-profit organization, Luminary Arts. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were times when I experienced disappointment. In theatre, it comes with the territory. There were several shows where I seemed destined for minor roles in the ensemble, regardless of how well I performed at the audition. This was disheartening for me, as I had just come off a streak of major roles in productions and knew I could do much more. Despite my initial dismay at the casting, I’m all the better for it. Indeed, some of these shows are among my favorite theatre experiences due to the community we created together. Being part of the ensemble humbled me; it taught me to value every role in the show, no matter how big or small. The opportunity to study in a conservatory-style environment with the advantages of a traditional university is my goal. While I have studied classical singing extensively, my first love is musical theatre. The classical technique and music theory I have learned will be a great foundation to the musical theatre curriculum. My acting interests also include film, television and plays. Musically, I enjoy many genres and look forward to opportunities to explore jazz and improvisation. I excel academically in other subjects, with broad interests in political science, art, history, business and government, and I hope to explore these in liberal arts electives. Musically, I also have the rare trait of perfect pitch. Musical Theatre programs are incredibly competitive. I have applied to thirteen schools, as I have been advised to cast a wide net due to most programs only taking in between 12 and 20 students each year. This means I have had to apply out-of-state and to private universities, which aren’t exactly affordable. My parents are committed to paying a significant portion of my tuition, but I’m not sure how anyone can afford the fees charged by some universities. Therefore, I’m seeking help through scholarships to ensure I don’t begin my career with crippling debt. When I’m performing on stage, I feel purpose, belonging, and a sense I’m part of something greater than myself. Musical theatre empowers me to express myself in ways otherwise impossible in everyday life. It’s like the old adage: when your emotions are too great for talking, you sing, and when you can’t sing, you dance. Musical theatre gives me an outlet to let loose and explore the different sides of who I am as an individual. Note: I have submitted a link to a Musical Theatre performance. Please feel free to look at other videos of me performing different genres of music on the same youtube channel.

I have given back to my community through my participation in Musical Theatre. As a middle schooler, I suffered from chronic anxiety and began singing lessons with the Music Therapy Center of California, which created a wonderful outlet for me. In 8th grade, I decided to audition for the school musical just for the experience of being in a production and to make some friends. To my surprise, I landed the lead role. The moment I took the stage playing Horton the Elephant, everything became clear. One would think that being up on the stage for the first time would be an unnerving experience for a socially awkward thirteen year old with Asperger's, but it was like a lightbulb had gone off in my head. I was in complete control, holding the attention of hundreds of people. I had never felt so comfortable in my own skin. By the end of that show’s run, I knew I was meant to be on stage. Through my participation in theatre and choir, my confidence grew to the point where I was able to branch out to other community productions. Over the last four years, I’ve had lead or supporting roles in musicals with Christian Youth Theatre, Center Stage Productions, Luminary Arts, and school shows. I also served as tenor section leader of the RBHS Madrigals. Under Chaz Barcenilla, I studied classical vocal performance and music theory. I took Trinity College of London Music Certificate Exams in Classical Vocal Performance and Music Theory, achieving Distinctions at all levels. Rebecca Drake, my vocal coach, has helped me improve my musical theatre vocal skills and repertoire. As performers need to be well-rounded, I’ve taken dance classes, tap lessons, and drama workshops. Last summer, I was accepted into a New York-based audition-only summer intensive with professional Broadway performers such as Derek Klena. I have also participated in community service efforts, shared my singing talents with elderly citizens, helped students with Autism in performing arts improvisation classes, and assisted as an intern for the non-profit organization, Luminary Arts. As a senior looking ahead to the future, I hope to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre to prepare me for a career as a professional performer. While I have described how important theatre is to me, I think it has a really positive benefit on the community. Putting on a production is hard work and there are large numbers of people who contribute who may not get recognized, but without them the show would not go on. Whether it’s the folks sewing costumes, putting together the sets, the prop parents, the lighting and sound people, the orchestra players, the people selling tickets, working the front of house or the ushers, it takes a huge amount of teamwork to put on show. Most of the people involved are unpaid volunteers. There's a really wonderful sense of togetherness that we’re all participating for the sake of art. Theatre people come from all walks of life. It’s a very diverse and accepting community. Making theatre accessible to audiences is also important. Christian Youth Theatre regularly performs for school groups to create opportunities for youth to experience theatre. Through theatre I found my own voice, a way to express myself, and a community in which I belonged. I hope my contributions have enriched the community, just as participation in theatre has enriched my life. I have made so many meaningful friendships and connections through theatre and I hope to continue to do so, especially once this pandemic is over.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has had a variety of impacts on my daily life, many of which would at first seem to be negative. Before the lockdown, I went to school, saw my friends every day, and shared my passion for music with my choir and in musical theatre productions. Now, I’m lucky if I can say that I actually see my friends once a month. The isolation from my peers and teachers also made it harder for me to stay productive and engaged with my studies. I had planned to do multiple Musical Theatre shows in 2020, I had a Classical Vocal exam scheduled for June 2020, and I was looking forward to going to New York and performing in Carnegie Hall in March of 2021. Our choir was especially excited to go to New York, as we’d tried to get a group together three times before and failed to get enough people to sign up due to the cost. Of course, all of these things and more were canceled due to the pandemic. It’s not really how I’d envisioned my senior year. Worst of all, the shutdown hindered my college admissions process. After studying for the exams for six months,  I had multiple SAT tests and ACT tests canceled. I finally went interstate to take them both and received high scores, but now most colleges won’t even look at them. My GPA was also impacted due to my school adopting a credit/no credit grading system for an entire semester of my Junior year in which I took two AP courses. And that’s something that colleges are looking at, which is really frustrating to me. My planned trips to visit nearby college campuses during Spring Break were canceled. I aspire to be a musical theatre performer, so not being able to do any shows for nine months was crushing.  I don’t think I had any idea when schools closed in March 2020, that we’d still be at home almost a year later, with no idea of when classes might resume. I struggled with the online format at first. But, I could see my classmates and teachers struggling along with me, so I realized I was not alone. Distance learning in the Fall of 2020 was markedly better than the previous semester, as the teachers had had time to adapt to the new format. I struggled to be better organized, and I’ve always been a hardworking, top achiever. Being at home, it’s easy to become distracted with all sorts of non-school activities. I learned to clean my desk of distracting things. I’m a big fan of film, so I would watch movies a little too often. I’m getting better at setting reminders to get things done. I set alarms to ensure I log on in time to class. Always being at home is hard too. While my family is supportive, I sometimes need a break from them. My brother has Autism, so he was able to return to school part-time to work with an Instructional Aide on campus. He really thrived with the time back at school and I wish I could do the same. However, every dark cloud has a silver lining. The lack of Musical Theatre shows has freed me up to dedicate more of my time to training for auditions and researching colleges in depth. In addition to singing, acting, and dance, I’ve taken advantage of my free time to start working out regularly, which has done wonders for my confidence, self esteem, and mental health. I noticed that after working out regularly for a couple of weeks, I had a much more positive attitude. One of the most significant impacts on education of the COVID-19 pandemic is definitely the use of technology. Zoom has really taken over our lives. I have taken tap lessons, learned all the choreography for my auditions, had acting lessons, music lessons and all my school classes are on Zoom. I even worked as an intern for a Performing Arts nonprofit, Luminary Arts, during the summer, helping disabled students online (this time via Google Classroom). All of my University Auditions have been online, which honestly is a little easier than having to travel all over the country for a 15-minute audition, so that’s a positive. Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic has given me a newfound appreciation for the things I previously took for granted: health, my family, relationships, structure, even going outside. I am looking forward to striking out on my own as a freshman in college where I can thrive in my preparation for a professional career as a performer. In 2021, I hope to take these lessons to heart and become the best me I can be.

Mr Wormwood enters, stage left. The crowd slowly silences as the lights dim, and he takes center stage. “How many people here have ever read a book?” These words preceded my solo during CYT’s production of Matilda the Musical. On closing night, the audience was really engaged — people sang along, laughing and yelling out responses to my questions. I had so much fun playing Mr Wormwood and being part of the musical theatre community throughout high school. I was excited for the next project, but the COVID shutdown meant I had to postpone those plans. The shutdown has given me time to reflect on how much I love performing and how grateful I am for my theatre experiences outside of the classroom. I’m a student who generally excels in most subjects, be it science or mathematics or humanities. But none of them truly inspires me the way music does. It’s magical how singers can tell a story and imbue it with meaning and emotional resonance through notes and chords. The idea that someone could move me beyond words with only their voice is incredibly enticing. I started singing lessons at age eleven. Like many people that age, the idea of performing in front of people terrified me. It was for this reason I was hesitant to audition for my first show, Seussical the Musical Jr, in eighth grade. Over 100 kids auditioned. At most, I thought I would get a supporting role. Imagine my surprise when I won the lead role of Horton the Elephant! The looming prospect of performing to an audience was daunting, but that all changed the first time I took to the stage. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Once we finished the show, I was hooked— I knew I wanted to keep performing. I’ve held true to that ever since. The following years included further lead roles, solos in school choir performances, new friends, and a sense of achievement. As a freshman in high school, my number one goal was to audition for and be admitted to the Classical Vocal Ensemble Choir. I was one of two freshmen who were admitted that year. Leading the Madrigals Choir in a solo at the San Francisco Gold Festival as a Sophomore was a highlight of my high school career. Winning a Soloist Award and our choir winning the Best Chamber Choir category was icing on the cake. I hope to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre to prepare myself for a career as a professional performer. Over the last four years, I’ve had lead or supporting roles in musicals with Christian Youth Theatre, Center Stage Productions, Luminary Arts, and school shows. I also served as tenor section leader of the RBHS Madrigals. Under Chaz Barcenilla, I studied classical vocal performance and I took Trinity College of London Music Certificate Exams in Classical Vocal Performance and Music Theory, achieving Distinctions at all levels. Rebecca Drake, my vocal coach, has helped me improve my musical theatre vocal skills and repertoire. I’ve also taken dance classes, tap lessons, and drama workshops. Last summer, I was accepted into a New York-based audition-only summer intensive with professional Broadway performers such as Derek Klena. Locally, I have participated in community service efforts, shared my singing talents with elderly citizens, helped students with Autism in performing arts improvisation classes, and assisted as an intern for the non-profit organization, Luminary Arts. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were times when I experienced disappointment. In theatre, it comes with the territory. You need to have a thick skin just to survive. As a performer, I’ve become well acquainted with disappointment. There were several shows where I seemed destined for minor roles in the ensemble, regardless of how well I performed at the audition. Despite my initial dismay at the casting, I’m all the better for it. Indeed, some of these shows are among my favorite theatre experiences due to the community we created together. Being part of the ensemble humbled me; it taught me to value every role in the show, no matter how big or small. It reminded me that the beauty of theatre is that it’s bigger than any one person. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: it takes collaboration between scores of like minded artists in order to tell the story. The opportunity to study in a conservatory-style environment with the advantages of a traditional university is my goal. While I have studied classical singing extensively, my first love is musical theatre. The classical technique and music theory I have learned will be a great foundation to the musical theatre curriculum. My acting interests also include film, television and plays. Musically, I enjoy many genres and look forward to opportunities to explore jazz and improvisation. I excel academically in other subjects, with broad interests in political science, art, history, business and government, and I hope to explore these in liberal arts electives. When I’m performing on stage, I feel purpose, belonging, and a sense I’m part of something greater than myself. Musical theatre empowers me to express myself in ways otherwise impossible in everyday life. It’s like the old adage: when your emotions are too great for talking, you sing, and when you can’t sing, you dance. Theatre is an outlet to let loose and explore the different sides of who I am as an individual. Everyone has a special place where their troubles just melt away. For some it’s the beach. For others, it’s in a rocking chair by the fireplace. For me, it’s the theatre. That first time on stage, I was inspired. I realized I had never been so comfortable in my own skin. I was able to fully embrace my character and be part of a community where I belonged.

A song that always inspires me is the Bridge section of Ola Gjeilo’s Dreamweaver. I love how intense it gets -- the way it takes us on a journey through the underworld and heavens. Escapism is a common thread that links many of my favorite songs: that feeling of being transported to another world. These songs inspire me because they share a sense of triumph of good things in life over the bad. Even the saddest songs have a nugget of hope that things can get better, which especially resonates with me given the current climate in which we live.