Free College Admissions Essays: Jazz Is The Spirit Of Openness

As the great Herbie Hancock once said, “the spirit of jazz is the spirit of openness.” I love music because of its ability to transcend language, it gives descriptions that cannot be written down or described, only experienced. Music comes directly from what makes us human, some may call it the soul or spirit, others may say it is our psyche, but whatever you call it, music is born of the human essence. I love the feelings of openness, vulnerability, and even vitality that comes with listening to and performing music, and jazz is the most open and vulnerable of all music. Jazz gives me a way to express myself to others, letting me show the most sensitive and sacred parts of myself. Even though what I play may be complex in nature, riddled with various polyrhythms, polychords, metric

Burton. Mr. Burton taught a volunteer jazz band that practiced before school started on fridays. He introduced me into the world of jazz, and as a trumpet player himself, he pushed me to my limits and encouraged me to pursue music. In those few practices before school, our small little band was more connected than any other concert ensemble there. Jazz gave us a place to learn, grow, and gain an understanding for the beautiful complexity of jazz music. I soon took every chance I could to learn and perform more music. I joined every ensemble I could, marching band, concert band, and jazz band. I tried out for all-state, started a few bands with my friends, and I listened to thousands of different songs, exposing me to a variety of genres and solidifying my love for music even more. My future looked bright, but my music aspirations soon took a backseat once the pandemic started. I was in a virtual school, and with no band class to play in, I neglected my practice. For nearly a year I never touched my horn, I had lost much of my playing ability and forgotten my love for