Music

     I have always loved music! I grew up dancing beginning at the age of 3 and have taken/taught classes including ballet, jazz, tap, clogging, lyrical, hip hop, tumbling, gymnastics, etc. Therefore, I have been exposed to many different styles of music throughout my life and have fallen in love with different aspects of every genre. From classical Bach/Beethoven and Broadway musicals such as “Newsies” to gospel artists like Chris Tomlin, country groups like Rascal Flatts, and pop/contemporary artists like Sam Smith, I have heard it all. Music, for me, is a release. It has a way of taking over your mind and your heart and pushing everything else out. No matter what is going on in my life, and no matter how stressed out I am, I can turn on music and start dancing and all my worries leave, at least for the duration of the song. Music has a way of shaping people and situations, and bringing others closer together. Music holds so much power, one must just learn how to harness it.

     Since I have come to college, I have not had the chance to dance as much or partake in musical activities in a while, at least not to the extent that I used to. I had not even thought about musical events on campus, that is until another student from honors invited us to come and watch him perform in a Trombone Ensemble. I had several friends in the band in high school and I was very interested in watching the group perform. Several honors students attended the performance. The group performed beautifully and everyone in the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. It was obvious how hard the group had worked to prepare for this performance. The group seemed so invested in their music and the conductor truly seemed to put forth his heart in the pieces he had composed. It was a fantastic performance. Also, at the very end, a brass band from campus performed.

Overall, the performances were very successful and everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves. Now knowing what these ensembles consist of, I will definitely try to attend more throughout next semester and throughout the next few years. Having the opportunity to attend these musical performances on campus is something that many people either do not know they have, or do not take advantage of. Music adds so much to one’s character and being able to expose yourself to as many genres as possible is something that I find extremely important. Also, these ensembles are a nice treat to get you away from your projects, tests, and homework and allow you to enjoy the beauty of music. And, being able to support a friend who has worked so hard to prepare for an event like this makes the time even more well-spent.