Qisiel
Dec 31, 2016
Undergraduate / From the clunky weirdo with ADHD to a dedicated student and a fulfilled musician. [8]
Last minute Common App Essay review. Prompt 1: "Some students have a background, identity..."
BAM!
Another solid punch clashes the boy's head as he slowly slides against the wall in tears. He then cowers silently watching the thugs vanish behind the school hallway. A day like any other. ADHD is nowise a good ally in making friends. Mediocre grades, appearance of an anorectic, no hobbies nor social skills whatsoever. Appealing, isn't it? Meet the eleven-year-old me, a laughing stock for the cool kids and a pain in the neck for the teachers.
Little did I know, that seemingly ordinary day was going to spark the process that has shaped me the way I am today. And all future accomplishments I owe to the very moment I came home to my mother asking:
Why won't you start playing drums?
BAM!
First strokes danced on the practice pad and so my journey has began... First as an unobtrusive hobby, soon as a life coach.
Drumming became the catalyst of my profound metamorphosis and has fundamentally affected both the academic and personal spheres of my life. By exploring its endless possibilities I discovered connections between learning and the world of music. Intricate rhythms and crazy 15/16 time signatures were the key to understanding complex mathematical patterns and formulas. Humanities turned into child's play once I started perceiving music as a language. With notes being words and grooves being sentences all I had to do was to put these ideas down on paper. My practice routine has quickly made friends with studying. Evenings spent on memorizing ancient history, whilst transcribing orchestral solos at the same time became an imminent part of my everyday schedule. Drums have unlatched my mind for new experiences and triggered my intellectual curiosity. Through performing I set goals for myself. Every contest I ever won, every A I ever got and every other feat in my portfolio is the result of not only hard work, but also of the invaluable motivation I received from playing.
Progressing as an instrumentalist has boosted my confidence and endowed me with social skills I never had. As I climbed the ladder of success, overcoming my imperfections was a natural course of events and soon the clunky weirdo from primary school was gone forever.
BAM!
Drumming has smashed the door of transition into maturity. I discovered the value of commitment, leadership and responsibility. My work duties as a teacher honed my time-management skills and transformed me from a klutzy procrastinator into a conscientious learner and employee. Most importantly, thanks to drums I mastered harnessing what I previously considered as defects. Countless hours spent on practicing those dryasdust paradiddles helped me gain focus during exams. Hyperirritability, once an arch-enemy, became an asset and my inherent weapon in the school environment.
Finally, I have become a part of a wonderful community. A community that unites passionate, creative individuals better known as drummers. A community with no competition. A community that has taught me no one is better or worse, but that we're all just on a different leg of our joint path to becoming the next Buddy Rich.
This is, of course just the beginning of a long haul, yet looking back at what I was before picking up my first pair of drumsticks and how it has propelled me towards becoming a better Kacper, I am all set and more than excited to carry on this process.
BAM!
Another sturdy drumbeat fills the venue accompanied by thunderous applause. A day like no other. Confidence, strong ambitions and an unabashed urge for self-improvement. Appealing, or not, meet the eighteen-year-old me, a dedicated student and a fulfilled musician.
Last minute Common App Essay review. Prompt 1: "Some students have a background, identity..."
Drumming has smashed the door of transition into maturity
BAM!
Another solid punch clashes the boy's head as he slowly slides against the wall in tears. He then cowers silently watching the thugs vanish behind the school hallway. A day like any other. ADHD is nowise a good ally in making friends. Mediocre grades, appearance of an anorectic, no hobbies nor social skills whatsoever. Appealing, isn't it? Meet the eleven-year-old me, a laughing stock for the cool kids and a pain in the neck for the teachers.
Little did I know, that seemingly ordinary day was going to spark the process that has shaped me the way I am today. And all future accomplishments I owe to the very moment I came home to my mother asking:
Why won't you start playing drums?
BAM!
First strokes danced on the practice pad and so my journey has began... First as an unobtrusive hobby, soon as a life coach.
Drumming became the catalyst of my profound metamorphosis and has fundamentally affected both the academic and personal spheres of my life. By exploring its endless possibilities I discovered connections between learning and the world of music. Intricate rhythms and crazy 15/16 time signatures were the key to understanding complex mathematical patterns and formulas. Humanities turned into child's play once I started perceiving music as a language. With notes being words and grooves being sentences all I had to do was to put these ideas down on paper. My practice routine has quickly made friends with studying. Evenings spent on memorizing ancient history, whilst transcribing orchestral solos at the same time became an imminent part of my everyday schedule. Drums have unlatched my mind for new experiences and triggered my intellectual curiosity. Through performing I set goals for myself. Every contest I ever won, every A I ever got and every other feat in my portfolio is the result of not only hard work, but also of the invaluable motivation I received from playing.
Progressing as an instrumentalist has boosted my confidence and endowed me with social skills I never had. As I climbed the ladder of success, overcoming my imperfections was a natural course of events and soon the clunky weirdo from primary school was gone forever.
BAM!
Drumming has smashed the door of transition into maturity. I discovered the value of commitment, leadership and responsibility. My work duties as a teacher honed my time-management skills and transformed me from a klutzy procrastinator into a conscientious learner and employee. Most importantly, thanks to drums I mastered harnessing what I previously considered as defects. Countless hours spent on practicing those dryasdust paradiddles helped me gain focus during exams. Hyperirritability, once an arch-enemy, became an asset and my inherent weapon in the school environment.
Finally, I have become a part of a wonderful community. A community that unites passionate, creative individuals better known as drummers. A community with no competition. A community that has taught me no one is better or worse, but that we're all just on a different leg of our joint path to becoming the next Buddy Rich.
This is, of course just the beginning of a long haul, yet looking back at what I was before picking up my first pair of drumsticks and how it has propelled me towards becoming a better Kacper, I am all set and more than excited to carry on this process.
BAM!
Another sturdy drumbeat fills the venue accompanied by thunderous applause. A day like no other. Confidence, strong ambitions and an unabashed urge for self-improvement. Appealing, or not, meet the eighteen-year-old me, a dedicated student and a fulfilled musician.