As someone who wants to spend the rest of my life playing music, I did not even think about doing it for the majority of my life. I would see many people in the school band and also in church playing instruments but I never gave a second thought to that being me until my senior year of high school. I have always been interested and passionate about listening to music as most people are, but It usually just ends there. I think what happened is that I listened so intently to the music and was so enthralled by it that I wanted to understand what went into creating it. I would be so captivated by the videos I saw of musicians playing and talking about what they do and it seemed more and more like magic. It was and still is so amazing to think about how we are able to use these strange pieces of wood and string and metal with holes in them to create sounds that can move us to feel more than words can ever convey. This allure of knowing the "unknowable" that was the mystery of creating music and also the fact that it would just be amazing to be able to master this magic was what made me interested in starting to play music. This is what makes me want to continue learning about music, still. As practice makes the master, I cannot know how to play music the best I can unless I learn the most I possibly can about it. There is what seems like an infinite amount to learn about music as well, so I am always feeling like I am just getting started. To hone my craft is to honor creation and therefore make the best art I can possibly make. To create the best art I possible can is what I want most for myself. To make people feel the way I feel about my favorite songs would mean the world to me. To translate my music into fascinating live performances is also of the utmost importance since I know how much a great live performance can fill a fire within you. There is something special about good live music that I want to give to people and make them escape from the troubles of the world for moments. I want also give to people by sharing my knowledge of music with others that want the help. I believe this knowledge is meant to be passed down so that wea can all create the best art we can. I know how difficult it is to try to learn on your own so I want to teach for every age group, whether it be elementary students, college students, or elders. I want to teach and perform all types of genres but I do particularly have a liking to jazz and I am learning jazz piano with my instructor this semester as a matter of fact.

I could never appreciate a subject if it was not taught by an exceptional teacher. The methods of the teacher are essential to getting the learning and participation of the student to its full potential. A subject matter that I would usually not care about can become extremely interesting if the teacher is able to make it so, yet a subject that I love can become dull and boring the teacher does not add excitement. As an educator, I will be not only knowledgeable on the subject I teach, but also able to give an enjoyable experience to the student. With this philosophy, I intend to be a music educator. My duty will be to serve the next generation in becoming pioneers of their time. I know how hard it is to try and learn on your own and how important having someone to guide you is. It is so much help to have someone that can show you what you are doing wrong and how to fix it. It is also essential to have a teacher that expects a lot out of you and pushes you to be the best that you can be. Yet, the teacher must also be kind and not overbearing to the point of abuse. A teacher should learn of the students’ abilities and ambition as well as what the student’ goals. The teacher should be open to criticism but also know what methods are best, even if the student does not feel like they are. An example of this would be in the original Karate Kid movie when the teacher, Mr. Miyagi, had the student, Daniel-san doing chores around his house. Daniel-san did not understand how this could relate to learning karate but he soon found out that the techniques that were needed for karate were being used in the same motions that he used for cleaning. The teacher needs to know how to best serve the student. I feel that as someone that learns skills such as musical instrumentation, it is my job to pass this on to others as it was passed on to me. This is how we continue to have a well-educated society. Not only should the education be passed on, but it should be passed on with love and care for the student to ensure that it can be passed on from them with the same kindness. Often times in musicianship, it is thought that harshness should be used in teaching to make the student the best they can be but I do not share this sentiment as I have never felt like harshness has made me want to be better as much as kindness has.

My desired career path is atypical of a sane person's career path. It is not certain that a person may make a very much money even if they have many degrees in the field, so why would you spend an enormous amount of money to take college courses for it? Given that my desired career path is as a musician, I have to be mindful of the steps I take towards it because the path is uncertain and not always rewarding. However, I have taken steps and plan to continue taking steps towards my goal to become a musician. Firstly, I have taken lessons on my instruments as well as taught myself how to play and compose songs because of course you cannot be a musician without knowing how to make music. I have many works under my belt so far with them getting better in quality with each release. I allow myself time to practice and learn the ins and outs of making a song that moves people's hearts because at the end of the day, the best music is not truly about the artist but it is about some aspect of the human condition that a mass of people is able to really connect with. So I study how other great musicians I admire build their art with viewing interviews and books. I have also taken measures to move into the booming music environment that is Los Angeles. I plan to network and meet with many other aspiring musicians so that we can build together. My move to Los Angeles is even more so shooting me toward my goal because I am attending a university so that I may learn more about music from professional professors as well as other virtuosic students. As a student, I can also much easier network with people and connect with gigs and take private lessons that will really hone my skills. I envision positively impacting my future profession, not with the grace of myself, but with what I have to offer, which is my perspective. My perspective is special; not because it is more important or real than anyone else's. It is not. My perspective is special because it is different from everyone else's yet many people are able to to relate to what I am saying because I am a human being that is experiencing the same world with the same general problems on the spectrum of love and hate. With my music, I want to make people feel that we are all connected in out shared experience and thus do not have any reason to treat other harshly because we perceive each other as different or not like us. I hope to spread peace and love and joy but also respond to and acknowledge the darkness of life.

Graduating from high school is a daunting task because you have to decide what your calling is going to be and I was unsure of what I wanted to do as my occupation after high school until I read a certain book that changed my perspective. That book was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This novel by Coelho is a story of a boy who is faced with the task of chasing his dreams and aspirations. Yet, the boy is faced with many hardships that come from chasing your dreams such as doubting yourself, missing the past, and being scared to grow. However, the novel emphasizes that a person should not give up on what they truly want out of life just because it is hard or because it seems like it is not possible. The novel also reiterates that you have to put in significant effort and put in all you have to make dreams come true; they do not come true without work and faith in yourself. The Alchemist inspired me to follow my calling in life because it is better to try and fail than to never have tried at all. I was unsure of what my goals would be in terms of what my career could be but The Alchemist taught me to follow my passions because life is too short to not allow yourself to enjoy what your soul desires. As Coelho mentioned in The Alchemist, there are difficulties and doubts within yourself along the journey of chasing dreams but a book that I have recently read through has helped me with these perturbations. A book by Rick Rubin called The Creative Act: A Way of Being, is the book that has helped to guide me through some of the mental battles that artists of all kinds may face. Me being in the work of music, I face problems of doubting whether my music is good enough how I like it or if I should try to sound like other popular artists more. Other issues are of facing writer's block or of either being overly obsessive over a work or not being attentive enough. Rick Rubin lays out very serene and quotable advice on how to better resolve your mind so that you are confident in yourself as you are, how to know when a work is ready, and how to progress and not regress as an artist. After this read, I am able to better understand healthy goals that I can set for myself as a musician such as not trying to make a song sound like a pop artist rather than myself and how to be confident doing so.