The world has always been a dangerous place. War, famine, death and destruction have been around since the beginning of time. Just as suffering is ingrained in society, so is the fight against it through justice. For every instance of marginalization, we can find people who use their voices and their gifts to resist. Some are blessed as orators, some as strategists, some as leaders on the forefront. Others fight through different ways, in the background as artists and musicians. My goal in life is to introduce the future generations to their gifts, capacity and ability to make a change. Music specifically has been an important tool in boosting morale and fueling the fire of soldiers fighting against injustice. An example are the Freedom Singers in Albany Georgia who helped sustain the Albany Civil Rights Movement. They were the beat of the drum everyone marched to while opposing racism and injustice. They were the fire that kept warm while in prison. Their music was the solace that brought people to the front lines even after relentless arrests and little progress. The Freedom Singers weren't only in Albany, they were a nationally recognized group that inspired movements across the US. Fast forwarding about a decade, the Vietnam War saw a rise to many protest songs in dissension to the war. In an era where television and radio played a bigger part in society, there was footage of the atrocities committed domestically and abroad. In tandem, the radio waves were flooded with countless songs sharing the same message: Peace. "Bring 'Em Home", "Give Peace a Chance", "War" and many other anthems moved the public against our government's involvement in foreign affairs while unjustly harassing American citizens domestically. These musicians and artists all used their gifts, their talents and skills to help fight against inequality and oppression. We look back on them and honor their sacrifices and dedication. My goal as a future musician and music educator is to teach our next Freedom Singers, our next protest writers about the power music holds. To teach them that they can make a difference with the skills they are given. I aspire to be a middle grades educator, a crucial development period for children when they start discovering themselves. If the seed is planted that they can make a change, then they won't buckle or yield once they face oppression.

Music is my life. I love all genres, but jazz has to be my favorite. I play a jazz instrument, the trumpet. I own a record player and many vinyl records. I also compose jazz music. While my passion for this genre is strong, it wasn’t always so. My passion started with a single recommendation from my father. Back when I was younger, my parents raised my brother and me as relatively sheltered children. We didn’t listen to the latest songs or keep up with the most recent trends. Because of this upbringing, when I entered middle school, I entered a new world that was foreign to what I was used to. It was difficult figuring out how I fit in because I didn’t listen to rap. Fortunately, I played the trumpet at my school, and the music I played also didn’t fit the modern soundscape of that time. Being in a unique program strengthened me to find a genre that fits my personality. I started the search for my genre with what I knew: the band music of my school and the music of my parents. While I quickly became aquatinted with the symphonic genre, the music of my childhood was a little harder to find. My father played hours of neo-soul and R&B, however, I didn’t know the names of any of the songs. To solve this, I simply asked for music recommendations. Perhaps it was the nature of my personality or the instrument I played in school, but my dad recommended to me John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things.” This was possibly the best decision he ever made, as a love was born from that single seed he planted. Now this seed did not take immediately. I was not a fan of John Coltrane or ”My Favorite Things.” When I played the song for the first time, I turned it off within the first few minutes. The more than thirteen-minute run time, combined with the unique style of Coltrane’s playing, made for a distaste of the song. However, one weekend, as I was completing homework, I decided to give the song another chance, trusting my father’s judgment. Since it was playing in the background, with my main focus being my work, I began to see the beauty of jazz. I listened to all thirteen minutes of it and even gave it a replay. The seed had officially taken root in my mind. Quickly this seed began to sprout, as I dived deep into the musical style through John Coltrane. I listened to many of his recordings. I fell in love with his tone, notes, and phrases. Soon, I began to branch out, listening to his cohorts, specifically, Miles Davis. A pillar in jazz, I was first introduced through his album, A Kind of Blue, where Coltrane played the tenor saxophone. Following this same trend, I also fell in love with another trumpet player, Lee Morgan. Morgan became my model for jazz trumpet. Even today, he and his mentor Clifford Brown are my two favorite trumpet players of all time. My passion in this area had progressed majorly since its fruition, causing me to venture into multiple opportunities later on. Since then, I’ve achieved much by following my passion. I’ve played at the Fox Theater, spent a month on a college campus studying jazz, and most recently, been accepted into my dream school, Albany State University. However, had it not been for my dad and his suggestion, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I credit him with my love of jazz, the very thing I can’t live without.