Collaboration is the essence of music. The purpose of music is to communicate ideas with other beings that are not possible to be expressed through other linguistic means. Music does not exist in a vacuum, but functions in the fact that it is directed outward towards a possible listener, and can only be heard through the collective voices of those willing to sing. It takes shape depending on who the messenger of the music is and who is the listener. Music is undoubtedly a collaboration between the composer, the performer(s), and the listeners. From the perspective of a composer, the writing process is best when shared with others. Firstly, it must be noted that the very discovery of music is not a process which can happen alone. You discover music and your love through it because someone else has written it, and now someone else has given you the means to hear that music. This is collaborative. Secondly, the education we must undergo to become fine musicians is an apprenticeship, which of course is also collaborative. I have learned to understand music, how to create and organize my musical ideas, through the mind, ears, and heart of my many teachers. I have developed my own musical identity and voice through the education of other people. Additionally, much of the music I write is directed towards, or dedicated to, other people, as my deep love and appreciation for my friends, family, and teachers, is the greatest inspiration to my music. As a performer, collaboration is what gives each musical performance its unique flare, regardless of how many times the piece itself has been performed. Even if there is only one performer, there is still an intimate connection taking place between the performer and the composer of the piece of music. An individual interpreting the music you have created is a highly personal, delicate, and utterly beautiful process, and it creates synergy. The collision of the personality of the performer and the composer creates a new musical experience entirely from any derived from that piece of music before. Even greater is the synergy when more people are involved. There are many pieces which I have performed more than once. For example, I have played Dvorak's 9th symphony on two occasions: with my youth orchestra back in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Interlochen summer program. Both of these performances are impossible to compare to each other. The joining of each soul in an ensemble creates a magic unseen before in the world. Each performance feels like a living creature of its own, entirely impossible to reconstruct. It is immensely beautiful and lives purely in the moment. This magic is something that is only possible by the powers of collaboration. Our fierce love for each other and our desire to share things with each other is what continuously stokes the flame of art and music. Art cannot be made in isolation, because it will always relate outward to someone or something in the world. Music reaches out to us, beckoning us to listen, and urges us to participate in the vitalization of itself through our engagement. Music is collaboration.

I have always been someone who has something to say. Since I was little I fiddled at the piano and composed little impressionistic tunes, and I loved to play the recorder. When I was accepted to the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra for oboe as a freshman in high school, I fell madly in love with orchestral music. It spoke to me like nothing else ever has- the magnitude of the music provided more depth and breadth to work with than anything before. I could say more than I ever imagined. Since then, my voice and confidence as an artist have developed, and I have chased higher and wilder dreams than I ever imagined possible. In my orchestra, I organized and performed in countless outreach performances at elementary and middle schools with our chamber ensembles in order to educate the southwestern Michigan youth on music and to spark an interest in the arts. My youth orchestra brought me in contact with my composition teacher, Lucas Richman, when we performed the world premier of his violin concerto Paths to Dignity, and I have recently finished my own oboe concerto with his instruction. This summer, I attended Interlochen which was one of the most significant musical experiences I have had. This year, I joined two more orchestras- the Kalamazoo Philharmonia, and the Western Michigan University Orchestra. Additionally, I have won three concerto competitions this year: the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra Concerto and Composition Competition, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Youth Soloist Competition, and the Kalamazoo Concert Band Youth Soloist Competition. After completing all of my college auditions, I placed in the finals for oboe performance at the Curtis Institute of Music amongst three other people, and as of writing this, I am awaiting the results of those finals. I want to tell my audience a story, to convey to my audience something that otherwise could not be communicated in words. Perhaps my goal is to share a part of myself with them; my inner landscape is complex and hard to describe with words, and music does my soul the best justice in explanation. I will always find myself utterly lost in the narrative of the music and I feel that I serve as a translator for my audience. I use the music to present ineffable things to them, emotions or experiences beyond words, entire arcs of journeys, and the relationships between all materials in the music. In music, I can say so much with such fluidity that I have otherwise never been able to say. I can explore myself with music, and listeners can experience that exploration. We will all interpret the music differently, yet interpretation is inescapable. Music allows me to share more than I ever have with exquisite accuracy and precision, and for that reason, music has become the most compelling aspect of my life. I want to be many things. I want to continue to perform in orchestra, chamber ensembles, and I want a career as a soloist, though it is unconventional for oboe players. I want to compose music for myself and my friends and have it performed (or perform it myself) in the concert hall. I want to teach oboe at a university or conservatory. I want to use my voice as an artist to speak up on issues which I am passionate about, namely climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, gender issues, and much more. Ultimately, I want my voice as an artist to make a lasting impact in the world. And right now, I want an outstanding education so I can make this happen.

I have been bringing music to the community of Kalamazoo, Michigan, since I was accepted to the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra as a freshman in high school. Originally, my contributions were tentative. I wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to say to the world or if I had the skill to say it. Throughout high school, my voice and confidence as an artist have developed, and I have chased higher and wilder dreams than I ever imagined possible. Through my youth orchestra, I organized and performed in countless outreach performances at elementary and middle schools with our chamber ensembles in order to educate the southwestern Michigan youth on music and to spark an interest in the arts in their young minds. This gave me a sense of leadership and self autonomy in the musical world outside of performance. My youth orchestra also brought me in contact with my composition teacher, Lucas Richman, when we performed the world premier of his violin concerto Paths to Dignity, and I have recently finished my own oboe concerto and am in the works of writing an oboe trio which I intend to perform in the next couple of months. The opportunities presented to me through my youth orchestra helped me gain my footing in this world and develop self confidence as a musician, and led me to other opportunities outside of the youth orchestra. Outside of the KJSO, I have attended Interlochen for the 1-week advanced oboe intensive and 6-week orchestra program, which was one of the most significant and life-altering musical experiences I have had. This year, I joined two more orchestras- the Kalamazoo Philharmonia, a community orchestra in Kalamazoo, and the Western Michigan University Orchestra, which I have dual-enrolled and auditioned into. Additionally, I have won three concerto competitions this year: the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra Concerto and Composition Competition, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Youth Soloist Competition, and the Kalamazoo Concert Band Youth Soloist Competition. I am exhilarated for the performances I have coming up with these ensembles. After completing all of my college auditions, I placed in the finals for oboe performance at the Curtis Institute of Music amongst three other people, and as of writing this, I am awaiting the results of those finals. I perform at any chance given to me in a wide variety of circumstances as a chamber, orchestral, and solo musician. It fills me with immeasurable love to share my art with anyone who will listen. Music has brought to me all of my closest and dearest friends and teachers. The value of music in my life and the contribution I have made to my community with music is boundless. I have eaten up every possible musical opportunity in front of me with immense joy, and I am so incredibly excited for the next era of my life where I can pursue my passions even further and grow in ways I cannot yet imagine.