The trombone has become an integral part of my life that I could not live without, all because of my fourth-grade self. I wanted to join band just because I thought it would be another fun hobby, but when it came time to pick an instrument, I was at a loss, I had no real knowledge of any instrument. At the time, I could remember my even younger self sitting on the couch watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and seeing Goofy play the trombone. Due to this sudden memory, I decided the trombone was the funniest looking and sounding instrument out of the many options, and it had a connection to a kids tv show that I thought was hilarious. Surprisingly, I kept at the trombone all throughout middle school, and I knew from middle school that I would be attending Rio Americano High School which was renowned for its jazz program but I was unfamiliar with its merit. This is where I met two of my biggest musical influences. The first was my band director Mr. Murray. He explained to me during my freshman year the extreme skill that the top jazz band at the school had, saying that they are near a professional level. He made it mandatory for freshman to come to the first concert even though we did not perform, just so we could hear it. It was incredible. I couldn't believe high schoolers could sound that good. This made me want to do anything I could to get into that band. However, it was difficult for me to practice during the end of sophomore year, when my auditions would be, due to finals. I thankfully noticed that Mr. Murray arrived at school an hour early every day to work or set up the classroom, so I began to arrive before him to use the most time I could before class to practice. During that same year, I met a senior named Colin who fueled my trombone obsession. He sat next to me in our concert band and would always give me tips, teach me about important artists to listen to, give me private lessons, and be an overall positive influence. He once told me that people who practice 18 minutes a day every day improve more than people who practice one hour a day but not consistently, this stuck with me and helped create a passion for practicing. My newfound passion for both jazz and trombone helped me achieve my goal of getting accepted into the top band during my junior year, but more importantly than that, it gave me vast unexpected opportunities. Just that same year, our band made it into the Essentially Ellington Festival. Hearing those bands along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was my determining factor for wanting to pursue music. This new passion for continuing music helped me practice beyond just making my high school band, which created many opportunities. Such as acceptance into the Charles Mingus Festival, opening a concert for Wycliffe Gordon featuring my J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding Quintet, and being accepted into my dream music school, Manhattan School of Music. I aspire to pursue music because I want to be as proficient of a player as I can be. I know I have just scratched the surface of jazz and my time at Manhattan School of Music will really be able to take my technique and knowledge to another level. In my future, I hope to see myself playing gigs around NYC, meeting new friends and mentors, and teaching at a collegiate level in the future