The reason I chose to study music at a collegiate level is that I truly believe I would not be as happy or fulfilled studying anything else. Music stimulates not only my creative and artistic side but also my problem-solving and analytical side. Music has been at the forefront of my life since at least middle school, so I could not realistically imagine doing anything else. It was my middle school band director who inspired me to take music seriously and pursue it. Matt Hammond always believed in me and pushed me, so in turn, I did everything I could to be his best student. I worked hard, taught a peer how to play the saxophone, and participated in as many musical activities and ensembles as I was able. Other inspirations include the organist …show more content…
I consider myself to be a very hard-working student, and my seemingly endless curiosity helps with it. I am a sponge, I am constantly craving improvement and to learn more. I have so many instruments I’d like to learn to play such as the oboe and the cello, I am always yearning for more information on composition and how to be a better composer, and I want to learn all about jazz and how to be a better jazz saxophonist. The dark side of this constant strive for excellence and improvement is that I am constantly moving the goalposts for myself, which means that I often don’t recognize how far I’ve come and what I can do. This causes one of my biggest weaknesses: a lack of self-confidence. I’ve struggled with this and with my tendency to compare myself to others throughout my entire life and my entire musical career. It is the reason I tend not to put myself out there, why I end up getting discouraged, upset, or shutting down when I get something wrong or if I am not perfect, and why I am an exceptionally timid player unwilling to take risks. However, this problematic trait of mine has not caused my downfall, as you may believe it should have. Persistence is a positive quality with which I have always identified. No matter how many times I am knocked down, I power through and get back up again. I hate quitting, and I’m certainly not about to quit