Strength by Moonchild has inspired me and served as a gentle reminder that I'm strong enough to get through anything. Through all of life's ups and downs, music has created an uplifting backdrop and given me the strength to move forward. Every song on this playlist has helped me through a difficult time between 2015 and 2020. The final song, Gooey is an original I wrote while freeing myself from negative people and thought patterns. Music has healed, freed, and inspired my soul. I'm excited to study music therapy and use music to help others.

In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang symbolizes the duality of life. Similarly, in our lives, we often experience good things that have negative consequences and bad things that result in beautiful outcomes. One of my biggest successes, or my Yin, happened as a junior in high school. I was eager to learn more about music and decided to audition for the Fine Arts Center’s voice department. I knew it would take more than determination to achieve this goal, so I reached out to my choir teacher and we began searching for and perfecting audition pieces. I practiced every morning before school and every evening after drama rehearsals. When I learned that I was accepted into the voice program, I was elated. At that time, I thought preparing for my audition was one of the most challenging things I would ever do. That was when I was naive to the many obstacles of life, or the Yang in our world. Sometimes we learn more from failure, or life’s Yang, than we do our success. When I decided not to go to college right after Highschool, I was dejected. My entire life I’d been told to get good grades, graduate high school, and attend college. During my senior year, my peers seemed certain about what to study and where to study it. I was hesitant to make a decision. I felt like a failure because I couldn’t settle on a path. Despite how awful I felt about my decision initially, I can honestly say that taking time off from school is the best decision I could have made for myself. Taking time off from school has allowed time for self -reflection and transformation. After Graduation, I got a job selling power tools. While working retail I learned to work and communicate efficiently with a diverse population. My priorities have shifted dramatically and family time is more important to me now than ever before. While in high school I cared so much about what people thought of me. I have reflected upon my high school career and realized that the only opinion that matters is the opinion I have of myself. As a result of my time away from school, I know myself better and have changed my major from musical theatre to music therapy. Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned is that there is more than one path to success. My path has been unconventional however, It has allowed me to grow in unimaginable ways. Yang’s energy has inspired growth and transformation in my life. Just like Yin and Yang, there is always good within the bad. Even though my experience at the Fine Arts Center provided me with amazing learning opportunities, nothing could have given me the emotional intelligence and maturity that my failures have. Despite how difficult my time after high school has been, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I’m so thankful and excited for the person that my failure has allowed me to become.

Despite the sunny semblance outside my window, the mood of the day was painfully melancholy. After months of unimaginable pain and suffering, one of the brightest lights in my life had passed on. Grief had set upon me like a thick fog. Even though I was grief-stricken, I couldn’t feel anything but numb. I reluctantly peeled myself out of bed and got dressed. Even though it had been less than 24 hours since my Mammaw had passed, I decided I should still get ready for my voice lesson with Mrs. Knox. My voice Lessons with Mrs. Knox were always like a safety net to me. No matter what was going on in my life, whether it be a rough day at work, a bad mental health day, or a long night at the hospital with my Mammaw, the music and Mrs. Knox were always there to catch me. My nose was still stopped up from crying the day before and my throat felt like sandpaper. I had no idea how I was going to sing that day, but I continued to log on to zoom for my lesson anyway. I knew that as soon as we began singing, I would feel better. Mrs. Knox has impacted me in so many ways that I don’t even know where to begin. While my Mammaw was sick, I spent a lot of long days at work and in hospitals. Being able to escape my day to day life and work on my craft with my coach was therapeutic. Obviously, my voice lessons have helped me become a better singer. The not so obvious part is that Mrs. Knox has helped me to become a happier and better person as well. When I first began voice lessons, I had very low self-esteem. Whenever I made mistakes while learning a song, I would beat myself up. I had a fixed mindset and felt as if I was at a musical plateau. My negative thought patterns were holding me back in multiple areas of my life. Mrs. Knox was always extraordinarily patient and empathetic towards me. Whenever I would beat myself up, Mrs. Knox would tell me to meet myself where I was that day. I was gently reminded to embrace the messy process that is becoming a singing actress. My vocal coach would encourage me to speak to myself compassionately. Even though I learned these habits while in voice lessons, they have translated into my day to day life too. My mental health has greatly improved since I began studying voice with Mrs. Knox. Studying voice has not only instilled a sense of discipline within me, it has helped me learn to love myself. I’m a much more confident person both on and off stage. I am more comfortable in my own skin and am learning to embrace who I am. I have learned to have a growth mindset. I know now that I can learn anything if I am patient and put in the work. My inner dialogue has changed dramatically. I’m much kinder and gentler with myself than I used to be. I genuinely love myself and have fallen in love with learning and growing as a person. I’m able to approach new challenges with an open heart and mind. Some of the things Mrs. Knox has told me in my voice lessons has helped me get through some of the most difficult experiences I have gone through in my life. As cheesy as it sounds, she has changed my life. In learning to sing with Mrs. Knox, I have learned to love myself.

Similarly to a safety net, music has always been there to catch me. When I told my peers I wanted to be a singer, I was struck by their laughter. Despite how heartbreaking it was, I decided I’d be bold and pursue music anyway. I’ve formed a band, attended a performing arts school, released my first album, and performed at a local music festival among other things. Sharing my love for music is a sacred and beautiful thing. Even though it’s been challenging, I’m proud I’ve been bold enough to pursue my dreams despite the adversity I’ve faced.

Gratitude unexpressed might as well be ingratitude. We have so much to be thankful for. If we don’t express our gratitude to those around us, they will never know how thankful we are for them. One person that I am particularly thankful for is my vocal coach, Mrs. Knox. As a junior in high school, I auditioned for my community’s performing arts school. At the time, I had no coaching and very low self-confidence. I never imagined that I would be accepted into the voice program and when I got in, I was ecstatic. When I began school at the Fine Arts Center, I thought I would be learning about music theory and singing techniques. While studying voice with Mrs. Knox, I not only became a better musician, but I became a better person too. Mrs. Knox approaches every person and situation from a place of love. In the classroom, she is patient and highly empathetic towards her students. In voice lessons, my coach encouraged me to talk to myself in a compassionate manner. I learned to always "meet myself where I am today " and embrace messy learning. My inner dialogue has improved drastically, because of the life lessons I have learned while studying voice. I have better mental health and more confidence in all areas of my life. In learning to sing with Mrs. Knox, I have also learned to love myself. I never realized how much a person other than my parents could influence my life. I am extraordinarily thankful for the opportunity to learn from an individual as compassionate and talented as Mrs. Knox. As a result of her teachings, I have become a better singer, performer, and most importantly a better person. I am a more confident and compassionate individual because of what I have learned from Mrs. Knox.

Pet's name: Tyra Instagram: @michaelafayemusic Born to a stray behind an auto body shop, Tyra was the reigning hide and seek champion no one could catch. Tyra would leave paw prints in fresh coats of paint, jump out from inside bumpers, and raid snack stashes. Tyra survived a ride in the undercarriage of a truck only to get herself stuck in a sticky mouse trap. Dad found Tyra and freed her from the mouse trap. After the havoc she caused, Dad decided he liked Tyra’s survivor spirit. So, he triumphantly brought Tyra home where she enjoys frolicking, snuggles, and love.

It is a well known fact that the average four year old asks roughly three hundred and ninety questions a day. If you talk to my parents, they’ll tell you the average Michaela asks about double that. As a child, I was very curious about the world around me. Knowing the answer to a question was never enough for me. I always needed to know why something was the way that it was; or how it became that way. As a result of my inestimable curiosity, school was a truly magical place for me. School was a place where my questions were encouraged and explored. By the time I was a senior in high school, the magical essence of school was gone. I had allowed myself to slip into the monotony of day to day life. During my senior year, I was experiencing severe brain fatigue. While all of my peers moved away to begin college, I stayed home. At first, I was excited I didn’t have to do school work. After a while I had to face the inevitable. Boredom began creeping in. I was feeling antsy; like I was hungry for something, but I didn’t know what I was hungry for. My gap year taught me that education has played a big role in the development of my imagination. I tore through every book on my bookshelf. With every new book I read, new questions arose. Learning new things and finding the answers to my new questions was invigorating. My mind was bursting with new ideas. For every new book I read, I wrote a new song or created a new masterpiece. All of the new knowledge I had obtained allowed me to see the world through a new pair of eyes. I realized then that learning is a truly crucial part of my life. I find the most joy from asking difficult questions and discovering the answers to them. Without education, my life would be incredibly boring. My time away from school has allowed me to fall back in love with learning. I am eternally grateful for my academic opportunities and the creativity my knowledge has granted me.