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Musical Life
My Musical History
Throughout my early childhood, many parts of life were especially enjoyable to me because of music. I enjoyed going to parades and listening to the band, and at church I would always sing along with the songs. I guess these events developed my interest in music that was enhanced through my later childhood.
My involvement in music at school first started in 4th grade when I chose to play the drums in band. We had a weekly lesson throughout the year and performed in a concert in the spring. I was a little more active in 5th grade. Continuing in the band playing drums, I also joined the chorus and tin whistle club. Tin whistle club met before school started and we learned to play traditional Irish Folk Tunes by rote. It was an interesting experience that will never leave me. Chorus was the average elementary chorus performing a Christmas and spring concert. 6th grade was the same as 5th grade, except for the addition of Orff Ensemble. Orff was the early start of my mallet playing, but I didn’t realize it. We played simple songs but they were fun.
Junior High was what catapulted me into my high interest in music and what made me start to think about music as a career. I was in the Junior High Band, Choir, Jazz Band, and Show Choir as well as the Senior High Marching Band and Percussion Ensemble. I also played drum set in the pit for two Junior High Musicals in 8th and 9th grade. I was a part of every musical group possible at this point of school. I was having fun with music as most of my life.
Once High School rolled around, I was limited to the ensembles I could join, but it made me better at the ones I did. I was a part of the Percussion Ensemble and Marching Band still, but I was now a part of the Senior High Wind Ensemble, Chamber Choir, and Ars Nova (a capella singing group with 12 members). I played in the pit for my sophomore and senior year’s musical. I attended my first festivals in my junior year. I went to County Chorus, and auditioned into the District Jazz Band. At the end of my junior year, I set a goal for myself for the next year. I wanted to make All-State.
My senior year started, and the first chance for me to get on the road to All-State was the District Chorus audition. I was slightly disappointed when I didn’t make it, but percussion was, and still is, my forte. I made the District Honors Band, which made me eligible for District Orchestra as well. I was also selected for District Band. I made Regionals in both Band and Orchestra. I sent an audition tape in for the All-State Jazz ensemble, but that mission was unsuccessful. Region Orchestra was before Region Band so it was my first shot at All-State. I made it. I still worked hard for Region Band even though I could only go to All-State in one ensemble. I ranked high enough that I would have gone on to All-State Band. I was glad to have achieved the goals I set out for myself.
I was also auditioning for colleges in the middle of the festival process. I auditioned for Penn State on my birthday. When the theory placement test had me write out “Happy Birthday,” I felt it was a sign of where I was going to end up. I received my acceptance letter in Mid-March and responded the next day that I would attend Penn State.
I arrived on campus 3 days before the rest of the freshman class so I could audition for the Blue Band. It was a long and gruesome audition; more complicated than any other audition I have been a part of. I made it into the drum line to play cymbals. During the first week of classes was the audition for the School of Music ensembles. I was selected into Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble I. I am excited for what is yet to come in my career at The Pennsylvania State University.
Blue Band
I am in the Cymbal Line of the Blue Band. As part of our Post-Game Performance, we play through our Parade Order cadence. The cymbals do push-ups during one section. The crowd loves when we do push-ups
Performances
By the time I earn my degree at Penn State, many concert programs such as the one to the left will have my name listed in the percussion section. I am hoping to be involved in as many different ensembles as I can during my tenure as a student. The Mosaics concert features the many ensembles. After I attended the concert, I saw what opportunities I have to be involved as a student.
Meaningful Musical Artifact
It may seem odd that my musical artifact is a plastic tambourine and I say that it represents patriotic music, but after a series of relations, it becomes obvious how it is related. This toy tambourine was part of a set of percussion instruments that was made as a toy marching set. It had the drum, cymbals, slide whistle, and glockenspiel. They toy set even had the marching hat with fake feather. Patriotic music can be heard played by marching bands during parades on holidays. When I was a child, my favorite music was patriotic music. I always sang along when they came on the radio or when the band played them. I think my love of patriotic music developed into my love of music in general. Who knew that when I was parading around my house with the toy drum at age 2 that I would end up here at Penn State as a Music Major and march with the Blue Band.
Solo Pieces I Have Studied
Yellow After the Rain - Mitchell Peters
Rain Dance - Alice Gomez and Marilyn Rife
Tune for Mary O