Teaching has always been my passion whether I realized it or not. At 11, I led my karate classes in warm-ups and taught kids much older than me. I explained and paid attention to minuscule details when teaching attack forms, ensuring every lunge was low enough and every punch was thrown with effort. Similarly, this is how I lead my violin sectionals today as concertmaster. As a freshman, I found myself in the same position; this time, teaching seniors in varsity. It was rocky at first but as time went on I got better and better at it, still leading sectionals to this day as a senior. I had to figure out things that worked, implement ideas I learned from AFA (summer music festival) and Houston Youth Symphony, and take tips from my mentors and teachers. This led to me branching out and teaching students from my former middle school, which resulted in two of my students making it into Kerr High School’s varsity orchestra as freshmen---a rare accomplishment. Moreover, I have started a tutoring program at my school, organizing lessons, assigning tutors, and developing a system that encourages students to attend every lesson. I even created YouTube tutorials on techniques such as left-hand frame, shifting, and audition PAKs given at our school because I want to give students the opportunity I never got when learning violin. I never had a private lesson teacher until tenth grade through the HYS melody program. I had to learn how to play the violin myself through YouTube tutorials, paying great attention to detail so I didn’t develop bad technique. I grew up in Alief, a low-income area, where violin lessons aren’t even considered due to the price, but I still tried to do my best with what I had. I learned to be detail-oriented through the hours of drone work I did. I learned to be a great leader through conducting my orchestra classes and rehearsals. I learned to be persistent even when things get tough. Through my passion for music, I created a quintet at my school, naming it the Kerr Quintet. My friends and I took on gigs around the Alief district, which wasn't exposed to classical music. We rehearsed at my house and at school and spent countless hours perfecting our music to play at various gigs. We played at board meetings, award ceremonies, and even middle schools, bringing music into our community without expecting a single dime. In the future, I aspire to keep music education thriving as a high school orchestra director in Houston. I also hope to further my expertise with a master’s degree, which would support my goal of making music accessible and loved by all. In the long term, I envision a role in arts administration to shape broader music initiatives and ensure that classical music remains a vibrant part of my community. I want to impact the world of music, not through my amazing playing, but by ensuring that future generations will know the power music has on people and that music is more than notes on paper. I dream of inspiring my students to love music, whether they’re playing or listening truly. Looking back, my journey from self-taught musician to community leader has taught me that music has the power to shape lives. I am grateful for the chance to pass that power on to others.

My living room was like a symphony of noises. The sounds from my violin and the sizzling of my mom’s pan created a harmonious yet avant-garde duet. Today, however, I was the only one playing. Today, my mom didn’t bribe me with fish sauce wings so I could stop practicing my out-of-tune scales; she was in the hospital battling leukemia where her only duet partner was the beeping noises from the machines hooked up to her. I was practicing but it wasn’t the same—nothing was the same after she left. The things I took for granted became struggles I would never expect to face my senior year of high school. However, normalcy had not returned for me emotionally. Knowing that my mom was attached to countless tubes while she was gasping for air through her oxygen mask pained me because I couldn’t do anything but be by her side. However, I realized I had something that I could offer: our duet. Suddenly, I had the bright idea to bring my violin to the hospital to bring music into her life again—bring a piece of home to her. So, I went to the hospital and played for her while the nurses and cousins watched for my performance. My mom tried her best to listen, despite her continuous struggle for air. Although I was nervous, I pulled my bow across the strings without a care in the world, like my mom was still in the kitchen cooking those fish sauce wings, playing Long Me—a Vietnamese song about a Mother’s Love. I thought about times we went to the bakery together, her scratching my back before bed. It was comforting not only for her but for me as well. Music was a way to escape my reality and gave me a direction in life during a time when uncertainty was boundless—music was something I could find homage in. When I finished, a burst of applause filled the room, and there, for the first time in what felt like forever, my mom was smiling. Seeing my mom’s smile, I realized the power of music to uplift and heal, a lesson that inspired me to share this gift with others through music education. I want give back to the youth by making them understand that music is just more than the noise—it’s a way to connect with people on a deeper level. I want to share this same feeling and message with the my future students: music is a common language that suffering doesn’t understand. It is more than notes on a page; it is a healing language understood and enjoyed during any walk of life. I want to pursue music education to provide students an opportunity to play music with their soul by becoming an high school orchestra director in Alief---a low income community---and making sure every walk of life gets to experience what music can really do.

Teaching has always been my passion whether I realized it or not. At the age of 11, I led my karate classes in warm-ups and taught kids much older than me. I explained and paid attention to minuscule details when teaching attack forms, ensuring every lunge was low enough and every punch was thrown with effort. Similarly, this is how I lead my violin sectionals today as concertmaster. As a freshman, I found myself in the same position; this time, teaching seniors in varsity. It was rocky at first but as time went on I got better and better at it, still leading sectionals to this day as a senior. I had to figure out things that worked, implement ideas I learned from AFA (summer music festival) and Houston Youth Symphony, and take tips from my mentors and teachers. This led to me branching out and teaching students from my former middle school, which resulted in two of my students making it into Kerr High School’s varsity orchestra as freshmen---a rare accomplishment. Moreover, I have started a tutoring program at my school, organizing lessons, assigning tutors, and developing a system that encourages students to attend every lesson. I even created YouTube tutorials on techniques such as left-hand frame, shifting, and audition PAKs given at our school because I want to give students the opportunity I never got when learning violin. I never had a private lesson teacher until tenth grade through the HYS melody program and had to learn how to play the violin myself through YouTube tutorials, paying great attention to detail so I didn’t develop bad technique. I grew up in Alief, a low-income area, where violin lessons aren’t even considered due to the price, but I still tried to do my best with what I had. I learned to be detail-oriented through the hours of drone work I did. I learned to be a great leader through conducting my orchestra classes and rehearsals. I learned to be persistent even when things get tough. Through my passion for music, I created a quintet at my school, naming it the Kerr Quintet. My friends and I took on gigs around the Alief district, which wasn't exposed to classical music. We rehearsed at my house and at school and spent countless hours perfecting our music in order to play at various gigs. We played at board meetings, award ceremonies, and even middle schools, bringing music into our community without expecting a single dime. In the future, I aspire to keep music education thriving as a high school orchestra director in Houston. I also hope to further my expertise with a master’s degree, which would support my goal of making music accessible and loved by all. Long-term, I envision a role in arts administration to shape broader music initiatives, ensuring that classical music remains a vibrant part of my community. I want to impact the world of music, not through my amazing playing, but by making sure that future generations will know the power music has on people and that music is more than notes on paper. I dream of inspiring my students to love music, whether they’re playing or listening truly. Looking back, my journey from self-taught musician to community leader has taught me that music has the power to shape lives. I am grateful for the chance to pass that power on to others.