Personal Narrative: Emerson Middle School

Music is a very recent thing that has changed my life. I have always had an interest for music, since I was young I would dream of playing the Alto Saxophone. My dream became a reality in Sixth Grade when I was able to pick up and learn an instrument. I ended up choosing the Tenor Saxophone because of its dark full sound. I progressed very quickly taking lessons from Jill Marasa, band director at Costa Catholic Academy, later that year I bought a Flute, and Clarinet. I also became very proficient on those very early on. I soon moved to where I live now. Before I even moved I already had contacted the band director at Germantown Hills Middle School, Eric Loring, to see what their program was and to see what instruments they had available. I ended up starting the oboe, which till this day is the love of my life. During the Seventh Grade I was introduced to the Central Illinois Youth Symphony. I auditioned for it and their Flute Choir on, Oboe, Flute, and Bassoon (picking up and learning only a week before auditions). When the results came in I found out that I had made all three parts doubling Oboe and Bassoon in the Central Illinois Concert Orchestra (2013-2014). The season was very successful but soon came to an end. I soon sold my Bassoon and purchased an English horn. I soon switched Oboe teachers, I went from Kylie Hankosky (2013-2014) to Alison Robuck (2014-present), Oboe professor at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. Over time I

Throughout my years in high school, I have been very involved in the band program here at Langham Creek. As a freshman, I started out in Concert 2 band. Concert 2 is one of the lowest bands in the program. When I first entered the program, I had wanted to quit. However, after a while, I grew to really enjoy band. I started practicing more and put in more effort with what I did. I was first chair in concert 2, which is the principal player. At the end of the year for auditions, I decided to try out for Symphonic band, the top band in our school. Because I was in one of the last bands, a lot of people told me this would be very difficult to do. When the results came in I found out I had made symphonic. I was very proud of myself with how much I had improved within just a year. I even got the Academic Excellence for Concert 2 band award at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Along with this, I have received many band awards including Marcher of the week,

The Culverhouse College of Commerce houses some of the brightest students here on our campus that aspire to one day be professionals in the real world. I consider it to be a privilege to be one of the 8,500 students, and it would be an honor to represent the college. I would love to pursue other students to experience Culverhouse through my role as an ambassador. The ambassador program will enable me to be more involved in my college, as well as share my wonderful experience with others. These two reasons are what ultimately motivated me to apply for this program.

I have always been a particularly musical person. When I was younger, I wanted to become a singer when I grew up, but upon joining the choir in elementary I realized I did not have the talent for singing that I thought I had. Continually singing off key and never sounding as good as my peers did, I decided to confine myself to singing at home where only my family could hear me. Despite this revelation that I was, in fact, a terrible singer, I still wanted to participate in some type of musical performance and decided to join the band in middle school. After trying out various different instruments, I settled on the flute and quickly fell in love.

High school band is often looked upon as an activity where a bunch of nerds get in big, bulky, sweaty uniforms and walk around the football field during halftime all the while playing music that they have memorized. Although this is 99.9% true, marching band is much more than that and if you think about what was just stated, that takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. Marching band provides students with life lessons and skills that can never be forgotten. There are some major “plus factors” of being a part of a high school band such as: students get to be around other students that they normally would not associate with,

Meet my Jazz band. This is a picture of us in New Orleans my junior year during spring break to play Jazz. I decided upon this picture because this band has had such a profound impact on how I frame my future.

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything” (Plato). If my childhood was filled with anything: it was imagination. From my earliest memories of my cousin, and I putting on a sold out concert on my papaw’s front porch; to putting my baby dolls to sleep with lullabies. Music has always been a big part of my life: it was the one thing I could always count on, no matter where I went; and that still stands true today.

Most transformative moments in life can be caused by the smallest of occurrences in life. Often people do not even realize that a pivotal moment in their life is happening. Someone may realize when they are mature enough that there was one special moment during their childhood that ultimately determined their lifelong goal. For others, they probably realized an “aha” moment right when it happened and from then on decided that they knew what they want to accomplish later on. I actually have taken from both sides of the spectrum from realizing that one special transformative moment but also not even knowing that it would end up steering me towards my current career choice.

I was born and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi, an area immersed in a relaxed coastal culture and a vibrant jazz and blues heritage. Gulfport is located right off the Gulf of Mexico and less than an hour from New Orleans, Louisiana. Living near the Gulf, heavily influenced my childhood, I would spend weekends at the beach, and long hours traveling to distant islands far from the coast I called home. The music you would hear at the beach were always from timeless Americana artist; such as, Bob Dylan and Jonny Cash. My parents, not musicians themselves, were infatuated with the music of the late 1980’s from artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Journey. My particular favorite artist from that time period was Queen, and my love for rhapsody

Out of all the things I would do in high school, nothing would impact me more than joining the North Rangers Marching Band. It would give me more skills than any other aspect of my life that would prepare me for a future and allow me to evolve from a shy child to an adult with skills that prepared me for my future. I went into high school as a shy kid, with no true direction, at least until I discovered my schools marching band. Although coming in two years behind most of me peers, I knew that this was where I was meant to be, and with that, my mind was set and I was determined. Throughout the next two years, I would face countless difficulties with this that felt at times like tests of my willpower and what this band meant to me, but luckily I would push through, and in the end, would be left with a stronger person. As I look

Moving from Tennessee to Ohio in the 6th grade was probably the most difficult times in my life. Boardman, Ohio, is where my mother and I moved too, from Murfreesboro,Tennessee. The environment was definitely a big change for me. Murfreesboro had variety of people with diversity and cultures from all around. Boardman is very basic, and not extremely integrated. I was at a point where, I didn’t have a self of belonging at my school for awhile. There weren’t any individual outlets for people who were artsy or creative. Majority of the people, were okay with fitting in, and staying in there ‘norms’. I, on the other hand, did not. I liked to question things, and go against what everyone else is doing or wearing. Everything was so BASIC, and I

Throughout my high school career, I was forced into many situations where I was challenged to connect with my peers and serve as a role model for future students. Whether it be my involvement in the school marching band, or helping students in community tutoring sessions, I have always made it my goal to better the people around me through my own efforts. Throughout my high school career, I have put forth my best effort to connect with my peers, transform individuals, and make a difference in my community.

Mr. James F. Dicke II is an outstanding man with whom I share similar challenges. Just like Mr. Dicke had been bullied severely so was I. I am a diligent student and in band, which isn’t popular. I have severe asthma making it difficult to participate in sports. These have been contributing factors to why I was bullied. I have been bullied since primary school and believed every word they had told me. At one point it was so intense that my mother and I considered transferring me to a private school. I didn’t go because I wanted to push myself past the cruel words of others and prove that I could do anything. When entering high school everything changed. I made many new friends through band and learned that people were wrong. As a junior

When I examine my goals for the future, it is hard not to see Texas A&M as a chapter in my journey towards reaching them. I do not aspire to become president or an astronaut. But I do desire a career path that sets myself into a position allowing me to assist society, while being financially suitable to provide for a family in the future. The agricultural community is a field that has just that. Accommodating the infrastructure of our nation seems appropriate for my goals.

I remember when I was going to start school. The school I went to was called Lincoln Elementary. It was just a short four streets down from my house. I was a little nervous and slightly scared to go. I didn’t want to have to leave home and be gone for so long. Then I got there and realized it wasn’t that bad. We read books, counted numbers, and learned d 'nealian handwriting.