In today’s world, we tend to think of "gifted" as synonymous with "natural." We see talent as something special, innate, and something that cannot be taken away. From early on in my life, I’ve often been told that I’m gifted when it comes to music. Even before I started playing the flute, my relatives and peers often commented on my ability to harmonize, learn songs quickly, and whistle any melody I heard. When I joined band in 5th grade, I heard much of the same: “You’re a natural,” and “You have an ear for music.” But like many musicians, I brushed off these compliments and told myself that they were just exaggerations. Indeed, when people praise musicians, they often only see talent, not the underlying time, care, and grit that comes with skill. Though natural talent helps a lot in music, a gift, musically speaking, is something that must be cared for and fostered. Skill has roots in hard work, practice, and patience. Talent is a responsibility, not just to yourself, but to others. Being diligent in caring for my gifts is a way to respect and give back to those who have sacrificed their time to support me throughout my journey. In that sense, talent is not something that can be passive. It must be backed by passion, and not just passion for what you do, but passion for the people you have the opportunity to share your gifts. Throughout my time as a flutist, I’ve had numerous opportunities to share my talents with others. I’ve been the principal flutist with the Grand Ledge High School Wind Symphony for three years and the principal flutist with the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony as well. Additionally, I auditioned and was selected to be the head drum major for the Grand Ledge Marching Band in my junior and senior years. Outside of school, I’ve been lucky enough to participate in various extracurricular activities and honors bands. In 2022, I performed at the Michigan Music Conference and the Western Michigan University Spring Conference with the GLHS Wind Symphony. In 2023, my flute trio was nominated for and performed at the MSBOA Spring Honors Festival. I was chosen to perform in the Kevin Day All-Star Band at the WMU Spring Conference in 2024 and won the first chair position. Just this month, I found out that I was accepted into the MSBOA All-State Band, one of the most prestigious bands in Michigan. However, my biggest musical accomplishment to date was last May when I won the Lansing Concert Band’s Young Artist Competition, receiving the Bloomquist scholarship and performing a concerto with the LCB. These opportunities have not only improved my musicianship and leadership skills but also allowed me to give back to the community and foster passion in my peers. Participating in these activities has shown me how music can help and inspire people. It has led me to pursue a major in music performance next year so I can continue to grow my skills and impact others’ musical journeys. A spirit of wanting to better myself and “regift” my passions to better the world around me enables me to approach activities with gratitude and joy. I’m motivated by my love of learning and growth. I want to learn new things and challenge myself to encourage others in their journeys. In the end, music is the most universal language and is something that everyone deserves to know. I hope that, through my experiences, I can help others learn to love music in the same way I do.

In today’s world, we tend to think of "gifted" as synonymous with "natural." We see talent as something special, innate, and something that cannot be taken away. From early on in my life, I’ve often been told that I’m gifted when it comes to music. Even before I started playing the flute, my relatives and peers would often comment on my ability to harmonize, learn songs quickly, and whistle any melody I heard. When I joined band in 5th grade, I heard much of the same; “you’re a natural,” and “you have an ear for music”. But like many musicians, I brushed off these compliments and told myself that they were just exaggerations. Indeed, when people praise musicians, they often only see talent, not the underlying time, care, and grit that comes with skill. Though natural talent helps a lot when it comes to music, a gift, musically speaking, is something that has to be cared for and fostered. Skill has roots in hard work, practice, and patience. Talent is a responsibility, not just to yourself, but to others. Being diligent in caring for my gifts is a way to respect and give back to those who have sacrificed their time to support me throughout my journey. In that sense, talent is not something that can be passive. It has to be backed by passion, and not just passion for what you do, but passion for the people you have the opportunity to share your gifts with. Throughout my time as a flutist, I’ve had opportunities to share my passion for music with others. I’ve been the principal flutist with the Grand Ledge High School Wind Symphony for 3 years, and the principal flutist with the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony as well. Additionally, I auditioned and was selected to be the head drum major for the Grand Ledge Marching Band in my junior and senior years. Outside of school, I’ve been lucky enough to participate in various extracurriculars and honors bands. In 2022, I performed at the Michigan Music Conference and the Western Michigan University Spring Conference with the GLHS Wind Symphony. In 2023, my flute trio was nominated for and performed at the MSBOA Spring Honors Festival. I was chosen to perform in the Kevin Day All-Star Band at the WMU Spring Conference in 2024 and won the first chair position. Just this month, I found out that I was accepted into the MSBOA All-State Band, one of the most prestigious bands in Michigan. However, my biggest musical accomplishment to date was last May, when I won the Lansing Concert Band’s Young Artist Competition, receiving the Bloomquist scholarship and performing a concerto with the LCB. These opportunities have not only improved my musicianship and leadership skills but also allowed me to give back to the community and foster passion in my peers. Participating in these activities has shown me how music can help and inspire people. It has led me to pursue a major in music performance next year so I can continue to grow my skills and impact others’ musical journeys. A spirit of wanting to better myself and “regift” my passions to better the world around me enables me to approach activities with gratitude and joy. I’m motivated by my love of learning and growth. I want to learn new things and challenge myself to encourage others in their journeys. In the end, music is the most universal language and is something that everyone deserves to know. I hope that, through my experiences, I can help others learn to love music in the same way I do.

In today’s world, we tend to think of "gifted" as synonymous with "natural." We see talent as something special, innate, and something that cannot be taken away. From early on in my life, I’ve often been told that I’m gifted when it comes to music. Even before I started playing the flute, my relatives and peers would often comment on my ability to harmonize, learn songs quickly, and whistle any melody I heard. When I joined band in 5th grade, I heard much of the same; “you’re a natural,” and “you have an ear for music”. But like many musicians, I brushed off these compliments and told myself that they were just exaggerations. Indeed, when people praise musicians, they often only see talent, not the underlying time, care, and grit that comes with skill. Though natural talent helps a lot when it comes to music, a gift, musically speaking, is something that has to be cared for and fostered. Skill has roots in hard work, practice, and patience. Talent is a responsibility, not just to yourself, but to others. Being diligent in caring for my gifts is a way to respect and give back to those who have sacrificed their time to support me throughout my journey. In that sense, talent is not something that can be passive. It has to be backed by passion, and not just passion for what you do, but passion for the people you have the opportunity to share your gifts with. Throughout my time as a flutist, I’ve had numerous opportunities to share my talents with others. I’ve been the principal flutist with the Grand Ledge High School Wind Symphony for 3 years, and the principal flutist with the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony as well. Additionally, I auditioned and was selected to be the head drum major for the Grand Ledge Marching Band in my junior and senior years. Outside of school, I’ve been lucky enough to participate in various extracurriculars and honors bands. In 2022, I performed at the Michigan Music Conference and the Western Michigan University Spring Conference with the GLHS Wind Symphony. In 2023, my flute trio was nominated for and performed at the MSBOA Spring Honors Festival. I was chosen to perform in the Kevin Day All-Star Band at the WMU Spring Conference in 2024 and won the first chair position. Just this month, I found out that I was accepted into the MSBOA All-State Band, one of the most prestigious bands in Michigan. However, my biggest musical accomplishment to date was last May, when I won the Lansing Concert Band’s Young Artist Competition, receiving the Bloomquist scholarship and performing a concerto with the LCB. These opportunities have not only improved my musicianship and leadership skills but also allowed me to give back to the community and foster passion in my peers. Participating in these activities has shown me how music can help and inspire people. It has led me to pursue a major in music performance next year so I can continue to grow my skills and impact others’ musical journeys. A spirit of wanting to better myself and “regift” my passions to better the world around me enables me to approach activities with gratitude and joy. I’m motivated by my love of learning and growth. I want to learn new things and challenge myself to encourage others in their journeys. In the end, music is the most universal language and is something that everyone deserves to know. I hope that, through my experiences, I can help others learn to love music in the same way I do.