My greatest influences are my parents and my brother. My brother suffered from Guillain- Barre Syndrome when he was eight. He lived in the hospital on an artificial ventilation for 97 days and later he had to continue physical therapy for at least ten years as he was completely paralyzed. My parents and my brother devoted their few years completely for his treatment. Today, my brother is a successful engineer working in the bay area. I learned that with dedication, determination and diligence we can achieve our dream in life…
In my youth, I hated music. I hated how other kids my age were out having fun while I stayed home on the piano bench. I hated the monotony of completing exercises every day on the piano: twelve major scales, and thirty-six minor scales, forty-eight arpeggios, and chord progressions in twelve keys for a grand total of 108 different permutations. After all, what was the point? This wasn’t going to land me a job anywhere. Little did I know that this was my future. It is October 2015 during halftime of a football game. The band director bores through the amalgamation of fellow band students then sits behind me on the edge of the wet bleachers. He speaks rapidly to me about the upcoming musical production and the necessity of a keyboard…
Monday- I am ready to stat week 4!! I like being in the office but I prefer being in the back. It entirely too much drama going on in here today. The woman training me is really on her last strike and she just seems to be getting on everyone nerves (including mines). I look forward to a better tomorrow.…
From his first steps on the vaudeville stage, to his last USO show, Bob Hope was entertaining. Mr. Hope was a comedian and an actor, yet he still reached an unmatchable caliber of musical ability. While his talents were far greater than mine, I still feel that there are many similarities between us. His love of music inspired me to appreciate its role in my life even more. Since I began playing the saxophone in seventh grade, music has been one of the centers of my life. I compete, perform and most importantly, practice on a consistent basis. The band program at my high school is poorly funded, and thus offers few opportunities in the way of musical challenges. However, because of my love of music and feeling of obligation to my classmates, I continue to be an active member and hold the position of drum major. To further challenge myself, I auditioned for and was accepted to the Louisville Youth Orchestra saxophone ensemble. This ensemble challenges my abilities and requires me to often seek help from my private instructor. While my performances with this ensemble may not be perfect, due to the level of difficulty of the music, I…
Doing the dishes and vacuuming the house are simple everyday chores, but adult tasks are like stepping into a whole different world. I have had some experiences stepping up into the adult world, and it was not easy.…
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve observed people playing music around me. My family is musically inclined, which I believe is the reason I’ve been drawn to it. In 2006, I began taking guitar lessons but I never had much interest in playing. Things changed in 2009, and I wished to be different. I wanted to be good at something so I began to teach myself guitar and have stuck with the guitar until now. In 2010, I began to play on my church’s worship team and I enjoyed it very much. I have now been a worship leader for the past four years and it’s something I love to do. I love it so much that for the past two years I have gone to Camp Electric to improve my skills. Camp Electric is a rock and roll music camp where musicians pick an instrument and they participate in workshops with that instrument. This camp is filled with people who love music and who love playing music. I have such a passion for playing that I have begun teaching guitar lessons and now I am expressing music with my patients in order to achieve a goal.…
Ever since I stopped playing the piano, I yearned to learn a new instrument. After testing out a wide range of instruments from the trombone to the guitar, I finally found one that fit my personality: the clarinet. Then over the years, I started to learn the different techniques to better my playing, all while performing with the Kansas City Youth Symphony, school band programs, and the spring musicals. But as the curtain fell for the last time on the musical my freshman year, the District Music Festival was looming just around the corner. Through my preparation for Districts, I learned that everybody can have a different…
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.…
Today was the day. The big day. My election for Lieutenant Governor of Division 2B for Key Club, an international service club, was today. Fear and anxiety pricked my skin in rapid movements emanating from every pore. I rehearsed my speech for the fifth time that day. Upon arrival at the Fairfax Library, I urged myself to remain calm. I quickly scouted out the other girls who were present; one girl was dressed professionally with a folder in her hand. I knew that was my competition. The girl spoke eloquently and genially, she radiated enthusiasm and a certain warmth that I did not have. With every question that was asked, she answered with a smooth smile and high-pitched tone that was dripping with sincerity. I bristled inside; I had just been slapped. I was shrouded in a cloud of anxiety and anxiousness. Suddenly, I was dragged from my reverie.…
Two years ago, on a cold Saturday morning, I prepared for my first ever track tryout. I took a shower, put on my clothes, and got into the car. On my way to practice, I felt strong physically, but I also had an undefined, jittery feeling about how the day was going to go.…
Every suggested tempo was tried. Every dynamic was attempted. I tried so hard I thought I would explode but, even with this effort I made plenty of mistakes. Each lesson I was given another “friendly critique”, feeling me with dread. It had never been as hard to please Rachel as it had been to please Mrs. Zhang. It was a constant struggle for me to stay eager to learn in her lessons. I had confronted my parents on my struggle only to be given uncaring remarks and a sarcastic “sorry” from my mother. For the first time ever, music was something I was not looking forward to…
I remember, when I was younger, that I wasn't fond with the idea of writing. I remember after writing out paragraphs upon paragraphs my hands always hurting and my brain exhausted from all the mental thinking and processing of writing. However, I would have this feeling; this sensation when I would write with thought, with passion and I carved it. However, it was hard to find a place that was felt the same kind of passion that I felt for writing and could help hone my writing. Then, I found out about BISFA that could help me with my writing, but my English teacher, who was supportive in my decision, told me a question all writers should always themselves, Why do you write? I figured that I would have an answer, but it I didn't. However, it…
time for me to begin my 10 minute warming up. I move my head side to side, stretch my legs, and I begin to walk briskly. I drank my water because I need to stay hydrated. When I was ready I sprinted out like a rocket. My brother began to time me. It took me 12 minutes to finish my one mile. Once I felt that my heart was pounding, my stomach started to develop painful cramps, and my My throat was as dry as a bone. I stopped and took deep breaths in and out. I took a five minute break and finished my 3 miles by walking. Once I finished my three miles I felt proud of myself and motivated for the next days to…
Who am I? That has always been an essential question for as long as I can remember. I never really understood why we had to answer that question along the way, but I’m now a senior at SJPII and I still have no idea who I am. It really bothers me that for 16 years I still haven’t figured out who I am. Constantly going from class to class and making new friends I still can’t pin point who the “real” me is.…
Traveling into the Indian Territory, we were being angrily chased down by three Indians furiously shouting at us. Dashing through the thick forest, the savage Indians were throwing spears and shooting arrows that narrowly missed us. Although neither Gideon nor I was mortally injured, I did suffer from a nick from an arrow piercing near my ear. Thankfully, a group of burly fur traders approached from the side, which frightened the Indians to run away. Acknowledging that Gideon and I were inexperienced travelers in the west, they offered us protection in exchange for some valuable possessions. As a consequence, knowing that they were our best alternative for survival, we gave them our antique gold pocket watches and assumed the identities of novice fur traders. From that point on, we followed them through the west and adopted their skills for efficiently hunting animals and keeping warm in the harsh, cold weather. During one of our rest points, we approached a large Cherokee settlement located in Park Hill in which our group leader was friends with the Cherokee leader John Ross.…