Recently, I completed my associates for General Studies at Germanna. I find this achievement to be great, because it was a two-year journey out of graduating that tested my willpower. My passion lies within music, yet few of the classes within the program related to that. However, such classes would have been required away from home at a four-year university. It brought up the question, time and time again, "do you really want to pursue a musical education?" I juggled a lot of activities, while trying to engage in creative pleasures that would pertain to the Bachelor's program at Shenandoah. While it was challenging, it made taking classes worth it. This served as a reminder that I would get to learn about what I loved later on, as long as I tackled what was in front of me. So instead of sulking about not being at the musical part of my life yet, I was embracive of what was not musical, yet important. When I transfer, I will leave behind lots that I have grown acclimated to. However, there are ways I can bring this chapter of life with me. Getting through General Studies the way I have has helped develop a healthy lifestyle that I will be implementing into my music program. An example would be the two years I have been going to the gym with my cousins. It taught me my way around and going so often gives me the energy to tackle one day after the other. I will be comfortable using gym equipment at Shenandoah and keeping at good health, so that I can do what I enjoy with liveliness. General Studies taught me how to live life out of my element, which will serve great importance this upcoming Fall Semester. Being in a program that suits my personal interests will only compliment hobbies I now have non-music related. I have a better understanding of how to be inclusive of those close to me, while tending to responsibilities that will follow me into Shenandoah. With that under my belt, these future years will teach me how to involve music more into this lifestyle. In the future, I hope to have a developed creative process towards composing and programming music. That, on top of knowledge obtained from the Recording & Audio Arts program, will greatly assist in being able to collaborate with others. Having thought about music and doing some musical things these past two years, I am only more certain this is what I want to get into. My dream is to express my love for music through collaborative projects, showing others my ideas and hopefully inspiring them.

Music connects to many pleasures the world loves. It is complimentary of multiple sources of entertainment and in itself can provide that leisure to millions, like in a concert. The dream of composing and programming drives me to learn about it everyday, while developing my instrumental skills further. There is not a day where I am not inspired by a song, whether just listening to it, hearing a cool commercial jingle, a soundtrack for a movie or game, and much more. Amongst all types of music, I would say Chiptune is my greatest inspiration for pursuing an education in Recording & Audio Arts. Technology was revolutionary towards creating songs. New genres arose and one of them introduced the concept of programming your tunes. Never before had I seen a song comprised of numbers and letters littering a screen, manipulating basic soundwaves to have elements you hear in main stream songs or classical pieces. This method was required when game consoles were primitive and lacked storage. Chiptune was all done on sound chips, being highly relevant in the early days of consoles. Though we now have song files capable implementing other genres back into collaborative works, the programming method has continued to evolve and is very interesting. As it becomes more complex, artists are able to become more expressive. A programmer that makes their music has complete control over everything, requiring only knowledge over a software and their imagination. The thought of honing my programming skills in order to collaborate with individuals, like beginner game designers, thrills me. I see it as a great way for establishing myself as a producer and being able to move into composing for different genres.

The first time I dove into Music Theory, I was overconfident from my experience as a musician. I remember starting off okay, then the curriculum suddenly became confusing. Despite looking over my notes, talking to my violin teacher and class instructor, I found myself unable to wrap my head around many concepts. I knew how to read music most of my life, yet now I was unable to talk about it in a more in-depth sense? My mom heard of my frustrations everyday, because I beat myself up over how much I was struggling. It was then that the band director from her middle school offered to meet me in person for one on one. Mr. Patterson pulled me from a hole, where I felt if I could not do well in this class, I was not qualified to pursue doing what I held interest in: Music Technology. Very slowly, we went over all the material, reproaching it in various ways when things did not click for me. His patience showed that as long as you give yourself time and look into finding the right resources, you can tackle at something until you find the way it clicks for you. When something is not working for me in a classroom, where even elaborations are not clearing things up, there will always be time out-of-class where I can find a way that suits me. Since music is my passion, putting in this much time is no hassle. I may have agreed on this concept in my head but experiencing it with Mr. Patterson solidified my belief and willingness to exercise this method. It was that senior year that time spent with him eliminated a behavior I had trouble with. Shutting down in class when something did not make sense was something I occasionally experienced. I thought to myself, "if the teacher is not making sense, what more can I do?" However, when it comes to something you care about or that needs to get done, there is always an answer. In future music and non-music related classes, I felt a stronger will to understand something more than before. This is because I was shown it can be done, during a difficult time where I really cared. I am grateful for Mr. Patterson sharing much of his time with me, going over classwork at Panera or my house for hours. It is a courtesy I will not forget and as I develop my passion for music, I hope to show others how a head strong attitude towards any class can yield a result that is always better than laying your head down in defeat. I can safely say this works, after completing my associates at Germanna for General Studies. That was a two-year journey with only two classes being musical, yet I passed and am happy. Now, I am now looking forward to Shenandoah this Fall semester for Recording and Audio Arts.

So much is responsible for where I am now, I find it hard to choose a project that acknowledges the many people and things I am thankful for. Therefore, this song I chose is one I come back to often, reminding me of the big steps I want those who helped me to see get taken. When I listen to it, I see dreams that I have been chasing for years, concepts that I have been wanting to wrap my head around constantly. It stays possible because of my passion and never-ending support from family and friends. Music has been my greatest interest, since picking up the violin in sixth grade. From orchestra performances, marching band and private lessons, to a music technology class my senior year of high school, I made this while becoming interested in a programmer's approach to chiptune. The genre has come a long way technologically and I find myself obsessed with the compositional capabilities from various software. The power to create your own bassline, lead and percussion tracks, all from just soundwaves, baffles me. Automating capabilities had its limitations, the more primitive years of composing chiptune, but now I see in-depth possibilities that constantly play in my head. Soundwaves can be tweaked in so many ways, you are no longer limited to a small amount of channels as well. There is more of a fullness to what you make with just soundwaves nowadays. This song may not have anything to do with some people who have positively impacted me but it will show them something important. I am here now, happy in ways that would have been difficult without help, ready for life responsibilities made easier to prepare for with guidance. I am approaching my first steps into a personal journey, where I will be fully-committed in a musical environment and learning about what I love. While I am interested in other genres of composing, learning about programming music will challenge my brain in unique ways that I think will impact future creations. This song, amongst others, is a constant reminder of what I enjoy doing and will be shooting above. When I made it, I felt I had pushed the capabilities of the app I made it on, "Medly." Moving ahead of this and embracing more complex software is my future, where I am determined to make works way more expressive than this. I am excited to learn in the Bachelor's for Recording & Audio Arts at Shenandoah University.

To me, being an artist is a passionate statement that can start alone, then grow with the ideas of others that share interest in your means of expression. My connection to the arts is through musicianship, where I began playing violin in middle school, later on dabbling with music composition and transposition. Experience in marching band, music theory, orchestra ensembles and other activities consists of my exposure to the widespread areas of the fine arts. Music production became my priority during senior year. It started when my friend made a song on an app for me. Wanting to repay the favor resulted in my first hands-on experience with a compositional app called Medly. Regardless of its limitations, there were ways to show my ideas that I never felt possible. The thrill I got from completing my first song to show my friend made me realize putting out what I had in my head was possible, so long as I pushed forward. Chiptune became my biggest interest, where I plan to learn about a programmer's approach to making music. There is a unique aspect to its process that I feel has creative capabilities people are missing out on. Creating original works through a studio or programming software, such as LogicPro and FamiTracker, will challenge me to understand the many variables that can go into making a colorful chiptune song. I want to establish myself as an artist, starting with this genre, in hopes of connecting with other people. The beautiful thing about having this passion is that it compliments other ones. Animators, commercial producers, video game designers, all types people could look at my profile and want to see my tastes intertwined with theirs. Collaborating with someone to make big, inspirational works is a possible dream. The song I am sharing is from the app I used years back, where I felt I had pushed its capabilities and wanted to move towards more complex software. I see this as the prologue for what I will be getting into at Shenandoah University and their musical environment.

I made this song using an app called Medly. At the time, all I had was a phone, no computer with fancy studio software. This was an attempt at pushing the limits of Medly's upper ceiling. Automating and layering sounds on this had always been a struggle, whereas manipulating one dynamic would change something you were not messing with in another aspect. My inspiration was to connect with other app users looking for unique approaches, also just pushing myself to think creatively with limitations. I only used instruments with one-syllable names for this tune. I consider songs I made with this app my stepping stone for future works on more challenging software. Shenandoah University is where I will have the chance to continue doing this!

One of my biggest priorities right now is my education, which is earned with time and commitment. If money was not a variable that played into my education and future BA program at Shenandoah for Recording & Audio arts, I feel like important experiences in my life would be lost, in return for time to prioritize my musical interests. The hard work I put into getting here has exposed me to life skills that I will carry on to this new University, such as job experience, cooking, family and friends, gym time and more. If someone told me I did not need to worry about expenses at this point, I do not think much would change. I am currently juggling and developing many important skills, whilst learning to incorporate my personal interests into life, in a way that is profitable and eternal. Having money would alleviate the stress of being in debt. My time would continue being spent familiarizing myself with new studio and programming software, in order to refine my creative process for making music. I would complete my Bachelors at Shenandoah, hopefully connecting to unique artists and creating collaborative works that inspire others. In the process, my name as a composer and studio software user would spread, connecting me to more people. Since money is not a worry in this make-believe scenario, gathering proper equipment would be a speedy task. Of course, helping my family financially would also be a high priority, given all that they have done for me. LogicPro and music production/recording equipment is expensive, so I am thankful the University's conservatory gives me all this stuff as part of their program. Having it all after graduating is a different story. At that point, I would have an idea of what I want and money would play into how long it takes to get what I need. With it not being an issue, I could jump back into pursuing the ideas I have for distinct projects that will pique other's interest. My dream is to further expose the uniqueness of Chiptune music. The concept of programming your music with synthesized sounds really interests me. I feel people are not aware of the limitations we have broke through that allow the genre to be more expressive. Having the money to cover debts that would need addressing will put me in a place more quickly that allows me take the steps needed to achieve this dream.

Compositions with a completely synthetic structure, like chiptune, astound me in the best of ways. It approaches composing in a unique aspect. With instruments, there is a predictability to what you will be listening to but I feel that is less of a case for soundwaves. The control over the timbre of each type of wave is very expansive and I love listening to what people can do with their programming skills. Though I am in general studies right now, I have made sure to keep up with my musical interests, to prepare for Shenandoah's musical conservatory. I have made tunes with a phone software called Medly, which challenged my creative ideas with its upper ceiling, pushing me to think to certain ways. Now moving towards more complex objectives, I have touched up on Muse score to start transposing chiptune pieces. Doing this inspires me as I get closer to the bigger goals in mind, cultivating my ideas. My dream is to gain an understanding for studio software and a programming one. LogicPro is what Shenandoah will familiarize me with, similar to the projects I made on FL Studio to audition for their BA program in Recording and Audio Arts. On top of that, I want to learn to use Famitracker and program my own music. All my creations go onto my artist profile, labelled as "BaggoNotes." This cartoonish name is where I want to show off everything. Tons of artists have given themselves some quirky title, in attempt to pique people's interest; I am no exception. My dream is to inspire people the way many others have for me. All genres of music contain their own respected craft and I want to expose chiptune's structure to more people with my distinct ideas. Up until now, my songs, edited live recording, transpositions, I have considered it all a warmup. When I move from my general studies program, I will be taking big steps that I have been thinking about for many years. Most importantly, establishing myself as a proactive artist will connect me to other types of expressive people. There are many types of collaborative projects that require an artist like me and I want the chance to work with those people to create cool things. If I were to point out one standout pro to my desired path, it is that I will get to work with various people who are hyper focused in different areas of the fine arts, in need of someone with compositional skills or studio software prowess. Having the chance to connect to these people is a dream come true and a way to spread my name. I can only dream of the the more complex projects I will be getting into, as I work to inspire others and do what I enjoy.

Music has inspired me for as long as I can remember. All my life, I have been surrounded by friends and family with unique tastes. After picking up the violin in middle school, I began developing my own. As my appreciation for classical music sparked, I remember learning how iconic composers had exposed future generations to elements a producer could utilize. I was in awe at the timeline that showed how we refined our approach through generations, instrumentally and compositionally. Every artist has there own strategy for making music and before settling for one of my own, I have been obsessed with learning about all the methods people have used for their works. Different genres have their own timbre, signature set of instruments, basically a flair that makes you say "oh, its Rock/LoFi/Country/Rap/etc." My senior year at Spotsylvania High School provided me the opportunity of the first ever piloted music tech class. Before hand, I only had a phone app and no fancy equipment to show me just how limitless my creations could be. I wanted to move past the upper ceiling phone software had thrown at me and learn about LogicPro. I knew a year at school would not be enough and was also preoccupied with sports, private violin lessons, marching band and more. Getting accepted into Shenandoah University will expose me to even more software, equipment, and people who share familiar interests. I currently am wrapping up General Studies at Germanna and have been looking into chiptune music, which is all synthesized sound. Learning about this genre would teach me a lot of techniques that I believe will apply to my process. Chiptune demands knowledge pertaining to the software you are using, along with applying dynamics that cultivate soundwaves into your desired sound. I am aiming to create original works like this, along with transcribing already known pieces for instruments. This will be done alongside my classes at Shenandoah, which will expose me to recording equipment and more new software. The link leads to a transposition I made from a video game piece: Trip World, World 3 Part 1. I made this to play for three violins, in order to record and automate the clips, so that they would replicate the qualities of the original song. This included lowering the octave of the bassline so it was the right pitch, and adding pan to the harmony so it would jump from one ear to the other after a phrase. I did this as part of my audition into Shenandoah. Sadly, it will not let me share the music file of me playing the violin.

"Your are the most important thing to me." This phrase has never been said, yet has been known by me and my sisters growing up. I was eleven and in second grade when my dad got cancer. He fought past his death date to get to my birthday, while I was in fifth grade. The day after, was his passing and both sides of the family were right behind us. It was hard, I was young, but the only direction was forward. My mom showed me that even after suffering through something you can not wrap your head around, there is a way to cope and move on. Her own dad died when she was only five years old. My interests were her top priority. She encouraged an explorative attitude, making sure I was reflective on why I did and did not try things. The philosophy "Do not give up before you start," was repeated to me growing up. I learned to try stuff willingly, even if I was certain at times I would dislike something; sometimes, I was surprised! Because of this, growing up was enjoyable as I expanded on my interests. My mom followed me the whole way. Every soccer and baseball game, my tae kwon do sessions, swimming matches, orchestra performances, she was there for it all and enjoyed it. There was no worry towards what I planned to do growing up. I am thankful the question was never asked and that she helped me maintain focus on school, sports, hobbies and family. The answer to "what do you want to do when you grow up?" comes more naturally when you ponder less and search more. This was done second-handedly as I tried things that interested me. Choosing between music and engineering, there was not a thing I had ever disliked about music, unlike engineering. I was exposed to all sorts of artists thanks to her, though her obsession with U2 sticks more than others. Picking up the violin and having a healthy hobby towards video games widened my tastes, propelling my imagination. Towards the end of high school, I was certain music production was my niche. I had ideas and wanted to learn to express them. The problem was that any degree or program that seemed worthwhile was located in urbanized areas, far from home and expensive. When I made it known to my mom that this was what I was interested in, she helped me research. I had goals and wanted them to happen, forgetting the steps in between me and the objectives set ahead. Most importantly, I did these things on my own accord, living up to the claim that "I wanted this," while she prodded me in the right direction. Her teachings on how to rethink how I do things has taught me patience and critical thinking skills. In my senior year, music tech became a piloted class and that was when I found Shenandoah University. At this point, I had experience with musical software and got a taste of some equipment and studio software. After graduating, it had been determined I would take General Studies at our local community college, Germanna. It was closer to home and less costly, so I could ease into the college life and transfer into their program two years later. My go-getter attitude remained high, even with classes, a job, and other responsibilities holding me back from my musical hobbies. My mom has made sure I know where to ask for help and how to find it on my own when I encounter struggles. I could not feel more ready and excited for transferring. Unsuspectingly, we learned that the Bachelor's program I was going for was relatively new and unique. A lot of credits would not transfer, though I remained thankful for the experience. As I wrap up my Associates, there is a costly program that awaits me. My mom has stressed the importance of scholarships. Just like always, she is doing her best to support me and is making sure that I am preparing the best I can for all that faces me. Without her, my approach towards formulating strategies would not be as effective as it is and various life tasks would be more frustrating. She has inspired me with love and her displays of strong mental fortitude have always been something to learn from.

This is Doodle, pardon his messy head from sunbathing! He is a 12-year old Yorkie, living up the five pound life. He was the runt of his litter but it did not stop him from being crazily energetic. Whenever I enter home, I find it impossible to not acknowledge him when he runs up so excitedly, wanting you sit sit down so he can sniff and see what type of day you had. He loves playing and sleeping by your side, which makes it hard to want to leave the couch when he is so comfy.

The safe path. It is reassuring, the thing you want those you care about to see. Sometimes, that path does not reflect your aspirations. Music technology is a relatively new field, popular in urbanized areas. I live in a rural one and only know of one college that offers a fresh program to compliment my dream career: a music producer. I have a family that has supported my decisions throughout school, so long as I keep good grades and explore countless possibilities. This was no problem, for I wanted to try all sorts of things and show those close to me that I was explorative, considerate of all things. Deep down, I always had a passion for something many close ones were unfamiliar with. It was something only one friend I knew in my school had experience with. Even then, that friend was more interested in video game design and not the compositional aspect these fancy studio software possessed. I was curious and only had a phone app that imitated such a creative software. I created many projects off it and it was so fun, yet so torturous. There was an upper-ceiling I quickly met, and I realized that if I wanted to do more, bigger things, I would have to take a step forward that I was not sure those close to me would support. Could I blame people like my mom for not wanting to see their son chase being a music producer, when there was no promising program to support it and show hope for a stable career? I did not want to let that get to me and knew I just needed to do research. My close friend supported me throughout my high school years, making projects with me on the phone app. It was not until senior year that my music director caught drift of our interest in music technology. He piloted the first ever music tech class in a high school, located in Spotsylvania. Suddenly, I had a class I could talk to my mom about, that would soon relate to a program in a university I would find: a Bachelors in Recording & Audio Arts at Shenandoah University. It had taken some research but such a program existed. Beforehand, I had only stumbled upon degrees, not seeming helpful towards finding a career. This was the program where I could learn new things that would connect to my dream. As a producer, I have held interest in the primitive sound chips and synths that shaped one of our latest genres in music: 8-bit/chiptune. It has evolved overtime and I have seen from only few artists the possibilities in music composition that can be achieved. 8-bit music opens up a whole new family of sounds, capable of being automated in so many ways. It is one of the first genres where you see complete songs, made up of only technological sounds. I have witnessed this on video game soundtracks and more, yet have not seen much hype around it. I believe this genre has the ability to appeal to a wider audience and want to look into learning more about it. In the process, I will learn all there is to know about complex software, since the genre demands you utilize its every function to create stellar pieces. This will allow me to achieve high levels of understanding with synths and sound editing, which can apply to other types of music I enjoy as well. While music making sounds more of a hobby, I feel it is something I can chase while finding a career well suited with my program. I hope to earn the support of more close family, when they become aware of what I am trying to do. Along the way, I also hope there is someone like me that is trying to learn about the same thing. It feels lonesome, not knowing anyone in-person with the same interest, but I have seen others showcase what my interests could morph into. With that being said, there is a chance I can express myself to people in a unique way and I want that.

I read the whole Harry Potter series in Middle School, after watching all the movies however many times it had been. This meme cracks me up, solely because of the opposite energies. Voldemort is the ultimate antagonist in the series and his nose, or lack of one, is something many point him out for. Even without this context, his angered expression towards the determined child with the photoshopped nose is so silly. Obviously, a kid could not fend off from the infamous "avada kadabra" spell, though it is amusing to think the child has swiped his nose and is juking his spells. This brings me back to his expression, which also contains frustration. It compliments the wide eyed foolishness plastered on the kid's face. It makes the viewer think "Voldemort bested by an unstoppable child," and that leads you back to laughing at the picture. Besides the photo, remembering that someone took the time to edit this is amusing.

We all have someone we care about. One phrase any stranger has related to me on is, "I don't want to get a loved one sick." As a young adult, I am not as susceptible to death, unlike infants and elderly. However, the idea of being responsible for someone getting the disease and being unable to fight it is chilling. Having understood this, I willingly braced for my academic transition from in-person to online classes. When it ended up being bearable, I realized other aspects of my life could be coped with as well. Online classes, social distancing at my job, Zoom sessions with my private violin teacher, my interactions with everyone changed and my day-to-day schedule became repetitive, only involving household family. Phone calls were a far cry from enough for catching up with loved ones. People like my grandma did not use technology to stay involved in our lives and it hurt, having to keep her caught up on the phone. The calls usually resulted in, "I'm doing great, how about you," and "I have been very busy with school!" Anyone can understand how those conversations are not as satisfying. At this point, it was a battle to keep myself productive, whilst feeling good about it. One thing that helped was knowing that the world shared familiar struggles. I felt no room for excuse, whenever I wanted to take a break from things that were not agreeing with me. After awhile, I began to enjoy online classes, realizing it saved time and gas money. I started feeling better about myself as I went through semester after semester, keeping up with whatever else could still be done during the pandemic. My substitution for the gym was my basement equipment. It was lonely without my cousins to follow our workout regime but I knew it was only for a period of time. Video Games kept me in touch with friends, and my love for music tech was channeled into a computer; no problem doing that at home. Though some aspects of this period were tedious, I managed. I have learnt that having widespread interests can help with keeping an at-home life interesting. This solution was not perfect but knowing everyone else was fighting the same fight gave me patience and an unyielding will to keep pushing forward. It is important, when life tries to chain you down, to be explorative, considerate, hopeful and much more. It is easy to say "this sucks." Be the person who looks forward to better times, while making these hard times as best as possible. Let those around you know that you have hope and you will not let COVID stop you from enjoying life.