Personal Essay: How Music Changed My Life

Walking into the band room for the first time, the sound of every instrument being poorly played by fourth graders suffocated the room. The squeal of saxophones and blaring bass of tubas made it impossible to hear the instructions being given by the band director. However, none of that mattered to me. All I could do was to stare at the only thing in the room that was able to grasp my attention: a shiny, red drum set. I migrated to the back corner of the room where it sat unoccupied, took my place on the stool, picked up some sticks, and immediately felt at home. At that moment, it was clear to me that playing music was what I was meant to do.
Immediately wanting to join the band, I knew the only obstacle in my way would be convincing my parents. After all, neither one of them is musical in any way. At dinner that night, it was obvious that they were skeptical and not too keen on the idea of hearing the banging of a drum set in their home, but they ultimately gave me the chance to pursue this new-found passion. At that time, none of us could have imagined the impact that this decision would have on my life moving forward.
Today,
I have performed in New York City, the Georgia Dome, Disney World, and Lucas Oil Stadium. I’ve been given the opportunity to work with distinguished individuals from around the country and invited to participate in select ensembles. But it has given me so much more than musical experiences. The discipline required to be a musician has weaved its way into many aspects of my academic life as well, creating a more focused and driven person who has continued to succeed in the rigorous academics I’ve been challenged with. I have also developed a creative mindset, that at times, seems uncontrollable. Whether it be creating videos, finding ways to incorporate engineering into an English project, or writing my next original percussion ensemble piece, it seems the applications for my creativity have become