When everyone has different ideals, passions, and dreams, it takes a very dedicated and motivational person to pull them together toward a common goal. As I reflect on my journey as a musician, I believe that I have been able to accomplish this and inspire people as a leader. Leadership does not come easily, and it's not something you can pick up in a day, but the ability to grow alongside your peers, as well as push them forward after you're gone, is something that I pride myself in being able to do. Leadership is not telling people what to do, or being the main character in the storybook. Rather, it's the ability to put others before yourself and help them grow in hopes that someday they will be better than you in whatever activity or aspect you're leading them in. I did not realize that straight away, as some of the leaders I have been under in the past have been dictator-like, and tried to instill fear, not encouragement. Being able to use music as a medium for this mentorship has also been very helpful because no matter how talented, gifted, or strong you are, discipline is vital to succeed. Being able to have finesse, and take a role in a much larger ensemble helps build character and teamwork. To be able to teach these aspects takes a better leader, and one who earns respect, instead of expecting it. Music is such an overlooked medium, but to be a good musician, you need skills that no other passion can even come close to. I am so thankful for the ability to lead my peers and am excited to be able to use the skills that I learned in my future endeavors. College is very daunting and very uncertain, but knowing what it takes to be a good peer, as well as a leader gives me comfort. Being able to learn from, as well as teach those around me is very exciting as I move forward to my next stage of life. I hope to become an aerospace engineering major, with a minor in music performance. Ive chosen this to be able to continue to pursue my passion of music, while also hopefully advancing technology to help humanity discover more about outer space. I hope to one day have a job at NASA or SpaceX, while continuing to play trumpet in small ensembles.

I was told from a young age that if I was going to be a part of something, I would need to put my full effort into it. In fifth grade, I chose to play the trumpet in the band, which ended up being something I loved. Passion may not have been in my vocabulary, but for this instrument, passion was there. I didn’t have that passion for anything else. But music, the sounds that I had no idea I could make, the teamwork I had never felt on a sports team, and the competition, forced me to work harder than I ever had before just to attempt to be better than my peers. I was like a moth to a flame, only it didn’t burn. It only made me feel like I could fly higher. In seventh grade, my band director made a surprising announcement: I had become the school's top trumpet player after years of dedicated practice. This achievement, however, was short-lived as I relocated across the country the following year, making me start over in friendships, band, and academics. Though it was hard to completely begin anew, it allowed me the opportunity to meet the people who would redirect my life over the next few years. High school band ended up changing everything I thought music was. Instantaneously, I went from being the best to the bottom of the barrel. I was thrown into a world of people who were leagues ahead of me in skill, maturity, and experience. It was daunting, to say the least. In only the first few weeks, I was gasping for air after a nine-hour practice, in over one-hundred-degree heat, trying to play music that was harder than I had ever played before while marching on the field and being exactly where I was supposed to be when I was supposed to be there. Instead of getting overwhelmed and being flustered, I found that this difficulty was what I had been searching for. The complacency that I had earned from hard work had stunted my improvement but now, under stadium lights, watched by hundreds of people, that kindling which I had thought was a flame had now turned into a bonfire. I had never been so uncomfortable, but that is what made it so alluring. Watching as the upperclassmen easily accomplished tasks that I struggled to even attempt, created and fed what is now my love and passion. Those upperclassmen soon went from being untouchable, to my best friends. Before I realized it though, they were gone, and I was alone. I had spent all of this time just trying to improve, trying to catch up, and I had. But with them gone, I was at the top again. I finally was made section leader, band captain, first chair, loading crew captain, and an all-county member, with all-state tryouts right around the corner. It was time to put what I had learned to the test in the upcoming marching season. Without the support of my upperclassmen, I learned to lead on my own, and support those around me so that they could support me. I led the trumpet players through multiple sectionals a week, and the band through the many competitions we had through the season. We managed to make history within the institution, and with me as the soloist, made finals in ‘Bands of America’ Regionals. Music has taught me so much. How to lead, how to grow, and how to move forward through difficult times. I want to continue to persue music in college, and hopefully be successful at it.