I sit in the chair, holding my saxophone with a relentless
grip. The music resonates from behind as the band entertains and captivates the
soul of the room. With the slightest tap of my foot, I internalize the beat of
the song and diligently become one with the rhythm until my mind is no longer
involved. Suddenly, our instructor motions his hand in my direction. It is a
gesture that I dreadfully adore. As the music slowly fades to a whisper, my
stomach plunges to the ground as I anticipate what the next few seconds of my
life entail. Seconds later, I stand to my numbed feet and take a deep breath
before I release the problems of my past, present, and future into the sounds
of the air.
Music has always been a therapeutic remedy for many of the stressors in my life. It is a universal
language which can be interpreted by all human beings in the same way and is
the only art form that is expressed more efficiently without the use of visual
aides. I began my journey as a musician in the 6th grade, and since
then, music has become a big part of my daily routine. Whether I am singing
along to my favorite radio songs, or performing an improvised solo in front of
a large crowd, it is always around. Since my freshman year of high school, I
have committed myself to being a dedicated member of all three parts of my
school's band organization including: jazz, marching, and symphonic ensembles. As
a result, I was advanced to being section leader of the tenor saxophone section
during the spring of my junior year. While musical skill played an important
role, the number one reason for the promotion was my demonstrated devotion to
attending every rehearsal and helping my fellow band members whenever I could. I've
always believed that a true leader shows the way from behind, and by being a
servant to those in need, one has a better ability to gain the trust of the
group.
While some students often have the wrong idea about what
being a leader truly means, I understand that the responsibility of being in
charge of a group entitles one to provide a constant example for others to
imitate. Likewise, in the jazz band, I became a leader in order to help
facilitate the digestion of music within my section. During practice, I
frequently clapped difficult rhythms to my band mates and gave my own insight on
how certain selections of music should be interpreted in order to yield a
better tone. Playing such an important role required even more time than ever
before, and within a few weeks, I learned that being apart of such a demanding
organization would ultimately limit my ability to participate in other clubs at
school. Moreover, reliability is a respected trait that any leader must
illustrate; so after finding the proper balance between schoolwork, band, and
other extracurricular activities, I was able to maintain consistent
participation in the music program.
My leadership position taught me how to communicate in a way
that could easily convey both difficult and abstract concepts. I never imagined
that I would play a critical role in the development of someone else's
understanding of how to truly make music. Additionally, at the end of the year,
I realized that my experience had helped me grow as a person because I was one
step closer to understanding my niche in my immediate surroundings. Being
section leader was one of the first opportunities that helped me see that I was
good at talking to other people on an intimate level. However, I also decided
that the amount of work required to participate in a strict band setting would
be too much for me to handle in college since I will not be majoring in Fine
Arts. Although music will always be my means of self expression and relaxation,
my future plans consist of applying passed leadership experiences to new
organizations in my school and community. Mentoring is something that I enjoy
doing, and as I improve my ability to relate to my peers, my new goals involve
being able to share my story in order to help facilitate a better life for others.
grip. The music resonates from behind as the band entertains and captivates the
soul of the room. With the slightest tap of my foot, I internalize the beat of
the song and diligently become one with the rhythm until my mind is no longer
involved. Suddenly, our instructor motions his hand in my direction. It is a
gesture that I dreadfully adore. As the music slowly fades to a whisper, my
stomach plunges to the ground as I anticipate what the next few seconds of my
life entail. Seconds later, I stand to my numbed feet and take a deep breath
before I release the problems of my past, present, and future into the sounds
of the air.
Music has always been a therapeutic remedy for many of the stressors in my life. It is a universal
language which can be interpreted by all human beings in the same way and is
the only art form that is expressed more efficiently without the use of visual
aides. I began my journey as a musician in the 6th grade, and since
then, music has become a big part of my daily routine. Whether I am singing
along to my favorite radio songs, or performing an improvised solo in front of
a large crowd, it is always around. Since my freshman year of high school, I
have committed myself to being a dedicated member of all three parts of my
school's band organization including: jazz, marching, and symphonic ensembles. As
a result, I was advanced to being section leader of the tenor saxophone section
during the spring of my junior year. While musical skill played an important
role, the number one reason for the promotion was my demonstrated devotion to
attending every rehearsal and helping my fellow band members whenever I could. I've
always believed that a true leader shows the way from behind, and by being a
servant to those in need, one has a better ability to gain the trust of the
group.
While some students often have the wrong idea about what
being a leader truly means, I understand that the responsibility of being in
charge of a group entitles one to provide a constant example for others to
imitate. Likewise, in the jazz band, I became a leader in order to help
facilitate the digestion of music within my section. During practice, I
frequently clapped difficult rhythms to my band mates and gave my own insight on
how certain selections of music should be interpreted in order to yield a
better tone. Playing such an important role required even more time than ever
before, and within a few weeks, I learned that being apart of such a demanding
organization would ultimately limit my ability to participate in other clubs at
school. Moreover, reliability is a respected trait that any leader must
illustrate; so after finding the proper balance between schoolwork, band, and
other extracurricular activities, I was able to maintain consistent
participation in the music program.
My leadership position taught me how to communicate in a way
that could easily convey both difficult and abstract concepts. I never imagined
that I would play a critical role in the development of someone else's
understanding of how to truly make music. Additionally, at the end of the year,
I realized that my experience had helped me grow as a person because I was one
step closer to understanding my niche in my immediate surroundings. Being
section leader was one of the first opportunities that helped me see that I was
good at talking to other people on an intimate level. However, I also decided
that the amount of work required to participate in a strict band setting would
be too much for me to handle in college since I will not be majoring in Fine
Arts. Although music will always be my means of self expression and relaxation,
my future plans consist of applying passed leadership experiences to new
organizations in my school and community. Mentoring is something that I enjoy
doing, and as I improve my ability to relate to my peers, my new goals involve
being able to share my story in order to help facilitate a better life for others.
