Staying still in one place was something my body craved for years as time passed by. Every year brought the same experience; just like a game of hopscotch. Jumping from one school district to the next as my parents moved from one dairy to another, in hopes to find a job that had enough income. As I moved from school to school, a part of me became frustrated from all the jumping. In my studies, some schools would be more ahead with their objectives for the year while others would be below the state’s educational standards. Consistency was something foreign, and though foreign elements give most people a feeling of anxiety, it was something that I wished for with excitement. By the time I entered fifth grade, marking the end of elementary school, I was finally able to find consistency in my studies. Although I was able to stay in the same public school district up until my senior year, my family still moved from house to house. Even though my parents could move my siblings and I to a school closer to home, they decided not to since they believed the school district I was in now would set me up for a brighter and more stable life than their own. …show more content…
There were many times where the overwhelming pressure to bring my family pride had taken a toll on my mentality, which resulted in me turning to music to cope with my struggles. Realizing that music had helped me in ways I’ve never even imagined inspired me to see what it could do for others, and how it can be beneficial to those who struggle in various ways. Shortly after this revelation, I began to take in interest in music therapy and its ability to help an immense number of people. If I could create music to help those in need, then I could live life contently
“Are you ready to go?” my grandmother asked. Before I could answer, my brother and sister ran up to greet her. Afterwards around two or three hours, me and two of my younger siblings left to Columbia with my grandmother. But, my parents and my youngest sister left a few hours after we had left. After an exhausting and strenuous three hour car ride, we finally reached my grandmother’s house. A few days later, my whole family and my grandmother went out looking for houses to buy. My family saw numerous houses, some I enjoyed better than others. One house in particular caught my eye. Not the house itself, but the fact that we would have to be homeschooled instead of going to a whole new school. Being six and all, I was dreading the fact that I would have to go to school. Think about it, I was a six year-old that left my school and all of my friends in Georgia that had to go to a whole other school in South Carolina with no friends or even people that I knew. Sadly, my parents didn’t end up buying that particular house. Although, I think that my parents wanted me to go to school. The house my parents chose needed some work and style. The room that I sleep in now used to be an appalling shade of brown. The playroom used to
Music has always been integral in my life. During my childhood, when I was four years old, I pressed my fingers on an oven handle like a piano. Throughout my childhood years I listened to my mom’s old-school mix CD’s, along with the Pandora music app on my old Kindle. In fifth grade, I picked up the piano. My alto saxophone studies began in seventh grade. When high school arrived, I turned my focus to guitar and voice. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more knowledge I craved. My decision to pursue music was also influenced by the inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey so far.
As a child I frequently made up little songs, and there seemed to be a constant stream of music in my head. I could see myself in the children she was observing and like them I didn’t have a framework for my experience – it was just my life. Whether it was singing while playing, tapping out some rhythm, singing at the top of my lungs to a favorite song, or goosebumps from hearing “Hall of the Mountain King”, it all felt familiar and warming. It has also made me aware of the musicking I continue to make every day in small ways here and
I’m raised in an environment filled with negative stereotypes, high dropout rates, fewer resources, and low expectations. As a Mexican American from the San Fernando Valley, educational opportunities do not come often. In middle school it massed into my head that going to college is my way towards success. Soon it became the only option for me and as a result, I joined Project Grad to begin my journey towards college. They introduced me to the Chicano Youth Leadership Conference during my junior year. After applying and attending, the conference eliminated the label that Latinos are not college material. Subsequently, I grabbed as many opportunities as I could. In my junior my school did not put me in any AP classes. Therefore, I went to go
I grew up in poverty with a small family, which consisted of my mother, sister, two step brothers, and my father who has a no contact order with my sister and me. Many of my peers often complain about how much they hate school and would rather be at home. But for me school was my escape from another world. A world I have no choice but to withstand. A world where shootings are common, where drugs are everywhere, where police patrol every Tuesday and Thursday; the darker side of Seattle. With both my parents being immigrants coming from war-torn countries we had no choice where to live, to eat, and to learn. As a family, we had no help from anyone so we had to keep our head up and persevere.
Music is an art, entertainment, pleasure, and medicine for the soul and body. Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is distinct to all cultures and has surprising benefits not only for learning language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development. My journey with the art has formed who I am today through the infinite possibilities that music offers any type of player. My solace and safe haven lie within a sheet of staff lines and spaces. Music begun and will continue to be my longest and most self taught course. This transcends more than just a combination of sounds and rhythms, it’s arguably deeper than life itself.
Changes in life can be tough to go through and sometimes they can be easy. Some of these things are harder than others and some can be a better choice. Like moving is one thing that changed my way i looked at people. Then there is growing up, growing up can be hard. Last but not least there is education. These things that you experience can change your perspective on how you look at life.
Throughout my life, no single thing has had a greater impact than music. It has made me who I am today, and I cannot remember a time when music wasn’t a huge part of myself - my earliest memories all contain the music that my parents played. Beyond being a product purely for enjoyment, as it was for a long time in my earliest years, music has gone on to become a fundamental part of who I am, how I spend my time, and who I spend that time with. It motivates me to be better for numerous reasons. I credit my early involvement in music with most of the successes I have had to this date.
I believe that helping people and taking care of each other is our duty. We should use our talents to accommodate the needs of not only ours but, others’ too. This is my motivation for becoming a Music Therapist. This profession ties two of my strong interests as I have been a musician under development for 7 years. I strongly believe and have been told that my personal qualities are exactly what it takes to work in therapy. I am patient, respectful, responsible and supporting. These four qualities are essential when working with vulnerable adults, adolescents, and children.
Moving away from home has been one of the biggest challenges that I have had to face so far in the eighteen years of my life. Moving from my home town to the collge dorm was a difficult transition that was necessary for growing up both mentally and physically as an individual. The little more than five hundred miles that separates me from my friends and family has allowed me to become the person I am today, and the distance allows me to grow and become more familiar with things that are a whole new experience for me. One of the many new things that I have had to deal with was making new friends in my environment.
I started riding horses at the age of thirteen and then quit two and a half years later at the age of sixteen. The nights I spent at the barn for an eternity were not fun anymore, and as the weeks dragged on it became more of a slow torture to participate in those riding lessons. I had so many other things on my mind and separate activities I wanted to pursue, so I decided it was best to throw in the towel instead of money and time for more lessons. All this having been said, even though it was stressful at this point in my life I still didn’t want to leave behind the horses, friends, and of course the memories I had made in this time span. My trainer and I decided the best way to go out was to do the December Barn Show at the Rocking V Ranch,
I do not doubt that I am prepared for college I have taken several AP and dual-enrollment classes so, unlike other kids, I do not fear the course load or even the transition into college. I fear to face the same problems that black students often face in higher education. Black students often face marginalization and deal with negative stereotypes alongside criticism from peers and educators. Learning can become a chore when dealing with negativity every day. I have learned in my 17 years that anger will not solve the problem nor will tears. In the past, I have joined clubs whose main goal is to increase equity: club alpha, NAACP, VHS Equity team. I have been involved with club Alpha since I was in my freshmen year of high-school students of
There are many different ways that we benefit from music. Music can inspire better self-esteem, and confidence. It’s a great way to set the mood, and a wonderful tool. Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program (Gram, 2005). Music therapy can reach out to anyone, age, race, gender it doesn’t matter. Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs can benefit from music therapy. As well as, those who have developmental and learning disabilities, those who suffer from Alzheimer's
The experience of frequent relocations and life changes during my formative years have molded me into a highly determined individual who sees the world from various perspectives and thinks out of the box. Throughout my childhood, there was always a quiet sense of not only excitement about restarting somewhere new, but also anticipation of how things would be different. Which side is the “right” side of the road? Metric system or British system? 110 Volt plug or 220 Volt plug? These thoughts that seem to be miniscule opened my young mind in accepting, and later, finding new ways of doing things. Meanwhile, the anticipation of a new school system that can be surprisingly way more demanding (or not) than what I had been through always motivated me to work hard and do the best I could academically.
Needle pricks, medicine, exhaustion, sickness, pain, feeling different ‒ these are just a few of the things that people with mental disabilities and serious diseases have to go through on a daily basis. But what if there was a different kind of treatment that could comfort them or reduce their pain even a little bit? Fortunately, for the people facing these issues, there is. Music therapy is a relatively new approach that doctors, teachers, and many others are taking to help heal and improve the quality of life for their patients and students. It’s starting to become more common around the United States and is expected to become even more popular in the future. Books like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart support the idea of music therapy by demonstrating how music can be used to soothe and improve the moods of individuals regardless of what they may be going through. Music therapy is an effective way to speed up the healing process and improve the emotional state of a wide range of people facing different obstacles in life.