My name is Julia Richards, and I started playing the horn in the 6th grade. At this point in time, I have been playing for seven years, having participated in both my school band and local orchestra for the past six years. I have also competed in many solo competitions, including the Alabama All State Solo Festival and the Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra's (MSYO) Concerto Competition. My freshman year of high school, I was able to place 5th in the state for my solo performance of Berhard Krol's Laudatio. Performing has been my solace and passion throughout my formative years. My true passion lies in the orchestra world. I have been a member of the MSYO for a total of five years, beginning in 7th grade. Over the years, I have sat in all of the chairs, finally winning the principal chair in my senior year. Throughout all the years, I have been guided by my musical community, including my private lesson teacher, grandfather, band directors, and maestro. My lesson teacher has been the one to push me into any audition she could find, something that I have now taught myself to do. These people and their passion for music have inspired me to pursue Bachelor's Degrees in Horn Performance and Music Education at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. After earning my degrees, I intend to attend graduate school for performance, all the while being on the lookout for audition opportunities for professional orchestras and/or gigs. My dream is to one day play in a professional orchestra and teach horn on the side. I am also interested in teaching horn at a college level. Performing is my passion such that I intend to make it my life. I value the human interaction and understanding the music can bring to others, which is also why I would like to teach. Teaching would also help me become a better musician because I believe that being able to teach a concept requires and demonstrates the highest form of understanding. With that, teaching in and of itself is a wonderful vessel for the development of one's knowledge. I wish to never be stagnant in my pursuit of musical knowledge, and hope to be able to share this with the world. Another goal of mine is to be able to thoroughly give back to my musical community that has supported me this far in my life. Many alumni in my school band return to help teach the younger classes, giving back to our band directors in the form of service. I would also like to be able to bring the influences in my life pride. Having been a section leader for my school band's mellophone section for the past two years, I understand the joy that seeing those that you teach succeed. This is a large influence for my decision for my future.

Music is a passion that I have had for all of my life. Whether it be an orchestral or band setting, the feeling I get when I perform is incomparable to anything else. As I have progressed in my artistry through the years, I notice that the more I holistically improve myself as a musician, the better I am able to perform and contribute to my ensemble. My main source of motivation to continue to grow as an artist is to be able to become a part of the music that I so much live and breathe, to be able to perform and transcend the physical plane that is so separated from the emotional world that was and is continually created by other artists. This is a world of pure emotion, a world that is love and hate, a world so separate from ours and yet created by us. I know that I can achieve my goals through my dedication of time, effort, and mind space; I know that wherever my future leads, I am driven enough by my appreciation of music in order to be successful, whether that success be in the form of a performing role in an accredited orchestra, or as a teacher dedicated to sharing her knowledge of the art of music to her pupils. Starting on french horn in 6th grade, I have been playing ever since. I can attribute my quick growth on the instrument to my private teacher, who has helped me to achieve goals I never thought possible. In 7th grade, I auditioned for and joined the Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra, the most advanced youth orchestra within three states. Now in my 5th year, I sit as Principal horn under the direction of Dr. Iván del Prado. Then, after 3 years of playing the horn, I auditioned for and placed 5th in the state as a Finalist for the Alabama All State Solo Festival in 9th grade. In my time with the FHS band, I am the only member to be named a Finalist. I also play the mellophone in our marching band, serving as the mellophone section leader for the past two years. This role requires teaching others how to play, march, and act as a member of our marching band. While it is a leadership role, it's important to me to remember that leadership roles are a way in which I can act in service of the band. I take pride in helping my bandmates and teachers. Because of my love for music, I am pursuing a future in music education and performance. One of the most influential people in my life is Meredyth Petersen. As my band director for the entirety of my high school career Mrs. Petersen has been nothing but supportive and encouraging to myself and my peers. She taught us that hard work pays off, even when the expected outcome dramatically differs from reality. I devote myself to music because it brings me life and happiness, and I want to share this with others. Outside of education, I am also working towards my goal to play for a professional orchestra. Living in a small town makes it more challenging to immerse myself in the orchestral world. I have been very fortunate to attend some performances by the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, each one fueling my love for the repertoire. Music is ingrained in me such that to remove it would be to remove my very own identity.

Social media is a powerful tool in our modern world which can be used to connect people from all over the globe; sharing ideas with the masses has never been easier. That being stated, it is also a cesspit of cyberbullying and hatred. In the digital world it is easy to forget that there is a person behind every screen, and that every person has their own life and values. Aside from cyberbullying, many toxic environments are created through people comparing themselves to pictures online, pictures that are often edited. Such large-scale forms of communication make it easier for people to shame each other to make themselves feel better. One rude comment can turn into hundreds of random people banding together and attacking the poster. Social media essentially can become an easy medium for those with poor mental health and self esteem issues to bring others down with them. Unfortunately, social media is too valuable as a form of communication for it to be applicable to fully dismantle. One method to combat the negative impact already in play is through the social media users themselves. Some influencers, social media users with a large following, take it upon themselves to spread positivity and share their lives realistically. In being honest about their lives, they are able to better highlight just how fake some of the standards are on social media. Influencers also share their own experiences with mental health struggles and how they may have overcome them. This can give others hope that life is possible for them. It also brings awareness to both some of the mental health problems and solutions that are present in our world. Another method in play is the ability to report or block users on social media apps. Harassment rules are generally in place on these apps and can better be enforced if people report those who do not abide by them. Many platforms also have features that allow the poster to limit or restrict the comments that they get or see on their app, giving them the power to make their own choices of what they see. These methods have seen success in their time, but the world still has hate to give. To better address the negative impact that social media has on mental health and self esteem, it is important that the social media companies themselves take actions against the hate their apps are fraught with. These companies have the power to control millions of people, power that could be used to further increase awareness of mental health struggles and the resources that people have access to in order to find help. Many people fail to seek help because they think it may be too difficult, or that they simply lack the knowledge that help exists in forms as easy as a phone number to call. In failing to educate people on their own rights to help, we fail them on a deeper level. We can also work as a people to better educate the youth on compassion and empathy. Too many children are undereducated on kindness and the value of human life. Everyone deserves the chance to live their own life, free from the shackles that social media users often strengthen.

I have been involved in the music community ever since I was little. Both of my parents played trumpet in high school, with my mom currently being an experienced banjo player and owning her own banjo-building business. My maternal grandfather is also a retired band director and has been playing the piano at his job for over 55 years. These people have helped to shape me as the musician I am today, imparting on me their own wisdom so that I may incorporate it into my own musicianship as I pursue a higher education in the field. In pursuing music, I hope to enter the world of professional musicianship so that I may one day help and inspire others as they have helped and inspired me in the transcendental experience that is music. I started playing the horn in the 6th grade, with my school's beginner band. I quickly improved at my instrument, so much so that I auditioned for and was accepted as 6th chair in the Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra, the highest level orchestra in my area. I am still a member of this youth symphony today, with this year being my final year. As the principal horn of the orchestra and the longest standing brass member, I have a responsibility to guide my peers in orchestral performance, as many have only ever performed in a band setting. I see such a position as a role of service, as I am giving back to my community in such a way that it once gave to me. Another way that I can do this is through leadership in my school's marching band. I have been the mellophone section leader for the past two years. This requires me to lead a group of people and teach them the fundamentals of playing the mellophone and marching. One of my new members last year had never played a brass instrument, let alone read music from treble clef, for she was a bassoon player. By spending extra time with her to help her understand the instrument, she was able to contribute to the mellophone section at the same level as her peers. This experience allowed me to better understand how to help others, and how to approach unexpected situations. As a senior in high school, I have seen all of the perspectives of the band members before me in that I remember being a freshman who looked up to her senior band members. I understand that I am now in the position to influence the younger classes, and I understand the power that I hold in that. I try to use this power to encourage my peers to pursue their goals, both in music and in their lives outside of band. As a freshman, I had bad experiences with the grades above me and so I perpetually strive to be someone that they feel safe to express themselves around. Music has exposed me to so many different communities and types of people that I am better able to choose and help others choose to be a part of the groups that will best support them in their futures. I value the relationships that I have made through the unifying force of music. In my future, I wish to be someone that inspires others in their own musical journey. Wherever I end up, I know that I will find success so long as my definition of success remains that I improve those lives around me through the art of music.