“I am involved in multiple music activities. I am in Acapella and Concert Choir. I play French horn in Concert Band and baritone saxophone in Jazz Band. I also participated in the fall music earlier this school year. Playing French horn was something I wanted to do going into my sophomore year since we would only have 2 (eventually, only 1) If I continued to play the flute as I had been for Band. I also wanted to try something other than a woodwind instrument. So I learned the French horn and fell in love with it. I grew a close bond with the other horn player, Ceice, and it really boosted my love for Band. With the baritone sax; ever since I heard about Jazz Band becoming a thing, I wanted to join. Until this year, it had been full, and I did not play an instrument that was in jazz so there was not really a way to get me in there. Throughout the summer of this year, I learned the trumpet to audition for Jazz Band. However, about a day before school started I was helping Ms. Weaver set up her room for the school year when Mr. O’Neil found me and asked if I wanted to try learning bari sax instead since I had been struggling with the trumpet and we did not have a bari sax player. In that time I learned how to play the saxophone and even learned how to improvise solos! I love the saxophone so much and I am so glad I got to learn it. It can be very difficult to balance all of my music activities, and sometimes things overlap unfortunately, but I have learned that good communication with teachers is the key to keeping a good balance of everything. It also helps that Mr. O’Neil and Mrs. Naughtin already have great communication with each other. I can play multiple instruments. In Band, I play 3 instruments, french horn for Concert Band, mellophone for Pep/Marching Band, and bari sax for Jazz Band. Although I have learned a lot of different instruments throughout my time in Band, I can play around 10 different instruments, not including the saxophones (the only sax I don’t know how to play is the tenor sax) I have been in the fall musical for 3 years. I wanted to join my freshman year but did not because of my spine surgery. I love being very involved in music activities, I love music and have always loved music. It is a comfort I use and it is the biggest part of my life. Being able to create music, especially all the time is something that is extremely important to me and is one of my biggest passions. I would also say the bonds I have created with other musicians is one of my favorite things. Without music, I would not have met some of my closest friends and would not be where I am today. I have had so many amazing experiences with being involved with music that I am so thankful for.”