"Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends" -Alphonse de Lamartine. I feel that this quote truly embodies the message and mission of music. I've grown up exposed to music most of my life. At age 5, my parents took me to my first classical music concert, an astounding performance of Handel's Messiah. Expecting typical 5-year-old behaviour, they prepared to leave at intermission. However, they didn't realize how enraptured I had become in the music. My heart became intertwined with the story and as I listened to the voices of the choir in perfect harmony and watched the orchestra, my little heart swelled and I felt like it kept rising. I didn't want anything to separate me from this ultimate source of joy so I coaxed and begged my parents until they finally agreed to stay. But that concert really left an impression and my toddler self didn't know how to describe it but my heart yearned for that day when I too could be a musician. 3 years later, I began playing the piano at age 8. I progressed quickly and enjoyed the instrument, but I knew it wasn't my passion. My true passion was the violin. I dreamed and fantasized about what it would be like to play the instrument and 7 years later, my childhood dream finally came true. It wasn't an easy instrument and the road was frustrating at times but it's been worth it. My goal is to inspire others to have the same love for music that I do, because it has really changed my life. Music has given me a truly unique and fulfilling way to express myself. I feel most alive when I am performing and it's just an amazing opportunity when I can share what makes my heart happy with those around me. In my mental health struggles, music has been my metaphorical rock and I want to help others learn how they can do the same. I want music to be a source of empowerment, even for young kids and for my students and audiences to have that same joy and warmth in their hearts that I've always had. I want to share that satisfaction and passion in music. Music is so amazingly healthy for the brain and can improve intelligence and emotional health, which can be the booster to success that my students need. I would like to teach group classes as well as private lessons to students of all ages. I also would like to participate in musical mission trips, bringing music and joy to underprivileged communities who do not have access to such novelties and offer music lessons to the children there. I am Mexican and Puerto Rican and in Mexico especially, classical music has been on a downslide, and I know in both of my countries, there are so many who don't even have the privilege of attending classical music concerts. These concerts aren't often cheap and my homelands don't have the kinds of resources as the US. I want to go back to my homeland and offer free concerts open to all those who wouldn't often be able to attend. I hope to be a soloist and to perform in different ensembles all over the world, while sharing my passion for music through teaching and reaching out to the community through group lessons, master classes, and such. However, ultimately, my goal is to use music to serve the world however I can because “if you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time.” — Will Smith.

I've grown up exposed to music all of my life. At age 8, I undertook the piano, at age 12 I started violin and I have also taught myself to play the flute. But my history with music goes much farther back. At age 5, my parents took me to my first classical music concert, an astounding performance of Handel's Messiah, and I was hooked. My heart swelled with the music and I knew I had to become a musician. Although I have sometimes struggled finding the funds to pursue private lessons, or to purchase a much-needed instrument, I feel that music is truly my calling and that since this is the path that God has opened in my life, that he will ultimately provide, however he sees fit. Music is my passion. I cannot go a day without some kind of music. It lives in my head and just fills my being in such a way that it completes me. I love the thrill of creating good music and although it is a difficult career, I wish to be the best musician that I can be. Although I faced initial setbacks from those who worried for my future when I decided to be a musician, they have seen that it is what I truly love and that I cannot be stopped. I want to somehow use music to make a difference in the lives of all those I come in contact with, since music has been such a crucial part of my own life. I have struggled with mental health over the years and music has been something, along with God, that got me through my toughest days and allows me to still be here today. After I graduate, I would like to attend a conservatory or music school to obtain my Master's degree in music performance. I would like to join a major orchestra as a professional violinist and possibly a professional pianist and have a studio of students that I teach. However, my dream is to be able to play as a soloist. I would like to perform on tours and help instill and inspire my love for music in others. I also wish to participate in musical mission trips around the world to bring the gift and joy of good music to places and people to whom it might not otherwise be widely accessible. My goal is to participate in the 2028 Menhuin Competition for violin and I aspire to attend Curtis Institute of Music for my Master's degree diploma. As Cecilia Garcia told me, "The sky is the limit for you. Don't ever give up on your dreams!" I'm sticking to that forever and no matter how difficult the journey to my dreams may be, I will never back down!

I hear music everywhere. From the squeal of a car's tires to the twanging of a rubber band, I've always been intrigued by musical pitches and rhythms of everyday objects. I often listen specifically for certain daily sounds to occur just so I can identify the pitch. Thought weird by some and unique and intriguing by others, this is a trait that I've always had. But as Emma Stone says, “What sets you apart can sometimes feel like a burden and it's not. And a lot of the time, it's what makes you great.” When I was 5 years old, my parents took me to my first concert, a performance of Handel's Messiah. Expecting typical 5-year-old behaviour, they prepared to leave at intermission. However, they didn't realize how enraptured I had become in the music. My heart became intertwined with the story and as I listened to the voices of the choir in perfect harmony and watched the orchestra, my little heart swelled and I felt like it kept rising. I didn't want anything to separate me from this ultimate source of joy so I coaxed and begged my parents until they finally agreed to stay. But that concert really left an impression and my toddler self didn't know how to describe it but my heart yearned for that day when I too could be a musician. 3 years later, I began playing the piano at age 8. I progressed quickly and enjoyed the instrument, but I knew it wasn't my passion. My true passion was the violin. I dreamed and fantasized about what it would be like to play the instrument and 7 years later, my childhood dream finally came true. It wasn't an easy instrument and the road was frustrating at times but it's been worth it. My goal is to inspire others to have the same love for music that I do, because it has really changed my life. In my mental health struggles, music has been my metaphorical rock and I want to help others learn how they can do the same. I want music to be a source of empowerment, even for young kids and for my students and audiences to have that same joy and warmth in their hearts that I've always had. I want to share that satisfaction and passion in music. Music is so amazingly healthy for the brain and can improve intelligence and emotional health, which can be the booster to success that my students need. I also would like to participate in musical mission trips, bringing music and joy to underprivileged communities who do not have access to such novelties and offer music lessons to the children there. And that little quirk of mine mentioned at the beginning, well, that's been helpful too, in its own unique ways. However, ultimately, my goal is to use music to serve the world however I can because “if you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time.” — Will Smith

My first concert memory dates back to when I was around 5 years old. My family lived in North Carolina at the time and my parents saw fit to take me to my first live performance in Durham, at Duke University. It was a performance of Handel's Messiah. They didn't expect me to be very interested, at least as 5 year olds are, but I was fascinated. Something about the voices in the choir blending together in perfect harmony and the orchestral music sparked a desire, a hungering for more in my heart. I just couldn't get enough of it and the music was amazing. I was enthralled and when my parents told me we were leaving after intermission, I was crushed and I begged them to stay through the entire 3 hour concert. They conceded and I left feeling like I was walking on cloud nine. It was after this concert that I knew music had to be a part of my life and I believe it was what sparked my current love and passion for music. My favorite concert memory dates back to just under two months ago. June 17 of 2024. The last day of school. A huge moment that I had been dreaming of for years but spent only a matter of months preparing for. It was my first chance to be a soloist on that stage and something that I had always wanted to do. I had a chance to play a piano concerto, accompanied by my college orchestra. I had roughly 4 months to prepare such a tremendous work and all those hours and days in the practice rooms were about to come to fruition. I had purchased a special formal dress for the occasion and my hair and makeup had been meticulously prepared for this moment. We began the concert with a few fun pieces, and I was able to play in the orchestra. After the second piece, the conductor gave me the cue to walk offstage and prepare for my solo piece. As I left the dressing room and prepared to walk back to the main stage, I took one last look in the mirror and watched as my dream of being a piano soloist was finally about to come to fruition. I was both excited and terrified and as I walked out onto the stage, the applause was deafening and the stage lights blinded my eyes. I sat down and threw my heart into the piece, giving it all the emotion that I could ever muster. I didn't even stop to think about the audience, I was completely in the moment. When I finally awoke from the musical trance I had been in, I realized it was over, but in an amazing way. I took a bow and as the audience applauded, I saw all my dreams and memories flash across my mind and my heart was full. I had done what had once seemed impossible, I lived out my childhood dream, and I knew my family and friends were proud of me. And in that moment, that was all that mattered and the experience gave me memories and an experience of a lifetime.

When I was 5, my parents decided to take me to my first live orchestral performance, the Handel's Messiah. They didn't expect that I would be very interested but I soaked it all in, even begging to stay for the full 3 hours of the concert, and that was the day that I truly fell in love with music and knew that it had to be a part of my life. When I was 8, my parents decided to enroll me in piano lessons. I was thrilled, and after 4 years of hard work and practice, I was ready to add a new instrument, the violin. The one that had held my attention since that first concert and the one that I had dreamed and fantasized of playing. When I first touched the instrument, it felt as if all of my childhood dreams had come true and I felt indescribable joy, allowing me to push through the difficulty of the instrument, knowing what rewards would come. It was at this point that I knew, I had to become a musician. I couldn't be satisfied with any other career. It would take a lot of work since I started late, and many teachers told me I would never be able to accomplish my dreams, starting at a late age, but I knew it would be worth it. My piano teacher was especially encouraging and he would always gently encourage me and if I was feeling discouraged he would remind me that one day he would see me playing at Carnegie Hall and that nothing was impossible for me to accomplish. Now, 3 years removed from that experience at age 12, I am even more endeared to my music. My music, my practice time, is my safe haven and I can't even describe what it means to me. It's like what some people would describe as their coffee, it's what gets me going and keeps me going throughout the day. It gives me time for myself while still bettering myself, both mentally and physically. I struggle with mental health and some days my music is the only thing that keeps me together and it's music that comforts me when I am feeling down and is always there for me. I look forward to my lessons every week and throughout the years, I have grown very close to many of my music teachers, developing bonds that would never have occurred if it weren't for music. Many of them have been extremely encouraging. They tell me that the sky is the limit and that if I put myself to the task, I can achieve great things, just as they have. But my parents have probably been the people who inspired and encouraged me the most. They have been my audience, cheering for me at competitions and solo performances, and attending all my concerts. But most of all, they are there for me daily. They always encourage me, when I don't feel like practicing or when I am so discouraged, I want to quit. They gently remind me of how far I've come and all the many things that I can still accomplish with my music. Now that I am older, I feel that it is now my responsibility to bless others with my music that has blessed me so much. Music has given me a better outlook on life and a great childhood and I really don't know where I would be today without my music and so I want to use my abilities and my future musit education to help others as well.