The work of a creative individual is first a testament to themself, originating from their own unique interests, passions, and inspirations, and begins from the inside. And what makes the process even more special is that their work, once it is realized, can eventually be enjoyed by an audience on the outside. My experience as a composer of music has given me deep insight into this creative process, and I have seen the impact that the performing arts can have on people. Therefore as an aspiring professional composer, I plan to positively impact the world specifically by entertaining and engaging audiences with my music, which I hope will fuel imaginations and stir emotions. During my past two years at conservatory, I have undergone a handful of enriching experiences where I got to compose new music, work with performers, and enjoy the successful performance of my pieces in concert. One of such instances was earlier this year, when my duet for two B-flat clarinets was performed. Titled 'Mountain Poodle,' I intended for the work to musically represent the character of my dog Lucy, as well as some of the activities we do together. And to really convey this idea, I even wrote instructions in the score for the performers to physically act out different scenes while playing- which in concert created a new level of theatrics that the audience could enjoy. I write about this example because it exhibits how my music is made with the audience in mind and shows how I aspire to make an impact by emotionally engaging people with the pieces that I compose. Indeed, the people in the audience that evening were very engaged with my piece, as you could see the reactions of people smiling and even laughing during some parts. Since I wholeheartedly aim to evoke emotions with my music, I can say this was an inspiring success for me. Experiences like this one are what motivate me to keep pursuing my path in composition, and I look forward to every next opportunity where I am able to entertain an audience with the music I create. In the future I especially hope to be involved in projects where my music can serve as an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, the aid of scholarships will allow me to continue on my path at conservatory and on my journey as a composer overall.

One day in first grade, my art teacher gave me a frame with real glass for me to put my newly finished artwork in: a drawing I had completed of the famous British ship The Titanic– a subject of which I was infatuated with at the time. The work itself was nothing extravagant, only done on the blank side of a scrap piece of work paper with crayons and pencil. However, seven-year-old Kade was overjoyed that my teacher chose to honor my art in such a way. For the longest time now, I have enjoyed the world of traditional drawing, and I have generally always had the desire to be creative. In this light, art is important to me because it helps me fill that desire to create and express my passions. Personally, I was a Star Wars kid, so I would often become inspired by the cool starships I saw in the movies and try to replicate them on paper. As I grew older, I found other, more mature subjects “cool” like the paintings and Still Life’s of the Dutch Golden Age. However, I realize that no matter the subject, all of these things struck me in a certain way when they did because of the aesthetic and beauty I saw in them. Whether it is a work of architecture you saw that inspires you to design something of your own, or a piece of music you heard that encourages you to compose an authentic work: this is what art can do for you. And certainly for me, making art allows me to funnel my inspiration into creations I can appreciate. This is significant because having a means to express yourself like this lets people display their unique combination of things they are passionate about. In my recent years, there has been another artistic outlet that I have become involved in, and entering this secondary level of education has allowed me to pursue it formally– that being music. By now, I have had many fun and insightful experiences as a violinist playing in symphonic orchestral ensembles for the last three years, but I had to start somewhere. I became influenced in my musical journey started during virtual schooling. While completing assignments, I would listen to classical music such as orchestral works by J. S. Bach. His work has always been very inspiring and I would find myself playing his tunes on the violin for fun. From then on, I took a lot of pride in playing with my high school orchestra and began to excel as a musician. With this newfound motivation, as well as the aid of great educators, I had the encouragement to pursue university as a music composition major. As I traverse through my second semester at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, I have faith that the resources and guidance this institution has to offer will help me effectively harness music as my outlet for artistic expression. Here, I study and take lessons with my violin professor, and I have already played in many concerts as a violinist in the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra. Though, education in this art form infamously continues to force the individual to juggle finances more than anything– and I prove to be no exception. For this reason, I invite you to support my journey with the Heather Rylie Memorial Scholarship. I am grateful for every penny that will help to relieve the financial burdens that music school has created, as well as ultimately help to further my aspirations as a music composer.

A famous monarch once said that “it is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings.” And indeed it was a mixture of feelings after loss that prompted me to create my favorite art piece that I have chosen to submit. My art is a portrait drawing of the late Queen Elizabeth II, directly referenced from a black and white photo taken by Cecil Beaton in 1955; after its completion in early November 2022, it turned out to be one of my most accomplished pencil drawings. A senior in high school at the time, it was during lunch that I received news on my phone that the world-renowned Queen of England had passed away that September day in 2022. Of course, the inevitability of her death was unquestionable given her recent ill health and age being in her mid-90s. But it was something more than that. Among many people there was a collective feeling of change, that a new era was upon us. A staple grandmother figure who had resided with us for longer than any of us can remember was now gone. Personally though, there was an even deeper sense of impact that struck me in the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I felt I was part of a smaller population that recognized just how much history she was a part of, and that in her walking life she was practically history herself. I grew to admire her for her powerful leadership, yet humble personality; her just character, and certainly her service to the people. I felt like spreading the news to everyone I knew right when I got it, but my quiet personality barred me from being very vocal about it. So I took my emotions, went to the sketch pad, and found a beautiful photo of the Queen in the early years of her reign. I used a pencil and a black coloring pencil to complete the drawing, referencing the photo from my phone and finding time to draw during downtime in school. Before this project, I rarely dared to try to tackle drawing faces in art. And where faces could be found in my output of works they were usually overshadowed by other things, like clothing or furniture, as in my drawing of a painting of Napoleon Bonaparte. However this new piece of mine, with a human face as the subject, reinforced my confidence in making realistic people- with a little bit of time and patience. And even though I was looking off of a photograph, I still discovered many pretty techniques that will carry through my life in drawing on paper, such as the gleam in her hair against a dark black hat. I am a self-taught artist, and I have used my ability to make art in this way to help convey my emotions. It is a beautiful medium of expression, no matter how developed you are in your skill, or how vocal you are in life. And for this, I would love for my portrait to be used as an example for many like me who are finding their voice in art.