Music Admission Essay

Billy Joel said, “I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music” (Music Quotes). Whether we realize it or not, music affects our lives greatly. The only thing for us to question is how. How does music impact your life and the lives of others? What does music do for us? People of all ages benefit emotionally, physically, and academically from music.

Music was my entrance into the world of writing. When I didn’t have access to books, listening to songs such as Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and Raven-Symone’s “This Is My Time” helped me get through the many days in middle school where I was bullied and isolated myself from everyone. My social isolation led to my first bout with depression. As I kept to myself, I wrote my own songs, pouring my heart into each and every word. However, fully perfecting the craft was difficult because I did not know how to perform the music I created. Fortunately, there are organizations that enable children to learn how to play instruments, and one of those organizations is Hungry For Music.

In the first grade, I picked up a clarinet. It was my sister’s, collecting dust while waiting for me to play it. From the moment I produced my first sound, an ear-piercing squeal that frightened my dog, the path of my life took a turn for the better. I began teaching myself for the following three years, along with learning from my sister how to properly play the beautiful instrument. The music pushed me out of my comfort zone: concerts that forced me onstage, tests that made me play difficult songs, and teachers that pushed me to be an exceptional player. From the shy elementary school student I used to be to the outgoing band member I take joy in being today, music has shaped my everyday life.

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.

When words fail, music speaks. Music starts off as five lined, four spaced staff. The four spaces spell out the word face, F.A.C.E., which are the names of the notes. The five lines stand for: Every Good Boy Does Fine. Most people think an artist just write the words down, makes it rhyme and POOF!!, You have yourself some music. Although this is true, music has thousands upon thousands of creative steps you must take. There is a lot more to music, and a lot more I’m still learning though.

Collaboration. The use of online websites, blogs and digital audio software for musicians to collaborate on projects and disseminate new ideas throughout online communities. In this section, I will draw on the work of Jones (2011) and Lysloff (2003) to discuss how much easier it is for musicians to find others in similar genre’s to collaborate with, particularly in more obscure genres of music.

When I came to Highlands Ranch High School as a freshman, I didn’t know where I belonged. I had done soccer, but a concussion and several headaches later, decided it wasn’t for me. I had tried fully devoting myself to academics, but later realized that I can’t spend my life focusing on grades. I didn’t have anywhere to belong. Then, in the winter of my freshman year, I was persuaded into doing winter percussion. I had never played an instrument before and had absolutely no idea what was going on. I didn’t even really know what a quarter note was, no less how to count them. My freshman self was totally clueless and wanted to quit at first because I was so bad and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. But, I stuck with it to the end of the winter percussion season and when we took second place in the state suddenly all the long hours of rehearsal and constant changes were totally worth it.

Throughout my life, I have been taken by music. However, it was not until my 8th grade year in middle school that I realized that I could be a musician for the rest of my life. Before that, music just seemed like something to keep me out of trouble. I wasn’t the best player at that time, and I still knew very little about it all. How could something like that ever support someone? Still, it was the only talent that I could find any success in, and it was still very enjoyable, so I wanted to still give it a shot.

Music has been a passion of mine for many years. The sonic power of frequency captivates me entirely along with the depth of theory that goes behind it all. Nothing is as integrated with art, human expression, and science as music is. You have sound and frequency as itself, and then the physical, tangible applications that allows us humans to harness and mold the sound into whatever we want. I have been playing music since I was young, and as time passed I grew more curious about the way things around me worked. I began to wonder how the tools of the art work. This curiosity has driven myself to knowing the ins and outs of the physical realm within the music world. I want to know how the amplifiers that I use on a day to day basis function.

Music. When I started in the band in 8th grade at Saints Francis and Clare, I didn’t really want to be there. It was just another class, in another day, of my last year of school. This began to change after I realized all of the amazing people I met in the band. Band led me to be happier and become friends with people who I never even knew I would meet. It has even lead me to a path that I would like to go into in the future. I love music and band so much that it has made me want to teach it or join a band as I go into college and just for the rest of my life. Through music I have even had the opportunity to meet some very amazing people, and I have been able to work next to some of those people.

Living in a world surrounded by noises and sounds, one cannot deny that music lives all around them. Schools, street corners, sporting events, there is one thing you will always find: music. Music education is quickly becoming defunct in schools, as many try to decry its many benefits. A growing emphasis on the concrete subjects of math and science, whose benefits are more immediate, are pushing the creativity and imagination of music classes to the back of the budget. Music education is no longer described as stimulating and exciting, but rather unnecessary and distracting. But the benefits of having an education in music is undeniable. Simply being around music can have a positive impact on life. Music enables the human race to discover emotions that they have never uncovered before. The human mind is refreshed by music; “our imagination and memories are stimulated by the sounds, and summon feelings and memories associated with the musical sound” (Wingell 15). Without music, the world would be silent. Lifeless. No matter what language one speaks or what culture one is from, music is a universal language, connecting the hearts of people around the entire world. In schools throughout the nation, that connection is being severed because of budget cuts and lack of funding, but the benefits of music education are clear. The benefits of having an education in music are not only present in the classroom; a lasting impact is also left on the social and emotional growth of a person, though the gains may not be evinced immediately. Participating in musical education programs in schools can give students the opportunity to form lasting friendships and to gain skills that will last them their entire lives. Music education can be beneficial to students because it enhances students’ performance in the classroom, aids in improving student’s interest and engagement in school, and advances students’ social and emotional growth.

All eyes were always on Madison. Thus, I often felt alone. In those moments of solitary, I turned to music. As a sixth grader who was struggling both at home and at school, music was my only friend. I fell in love with the french horn the moment I heard it be played in The Rolling Stone's song You Can't Always Get What You Want. I began playing in the school band and sooner rather than later, my entire life was surrounded by music. I would sit on the computer for hours researching genres ranging from 30 Seconds to Mars to Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. I knew, that moment in sixth grade, was the beginning of a life long affair with my only true love, music. I made it into the Governor's School for the Arts in my freshman year of high school. It was there were I began developing my skill and love into bigger and better things. I transitioned from playing grade one band music to world renowned symphonies. For some students, the music was just music but for me a piece of music can completely alter my outlook on life. A piece of music can reach deep inside of me and clasp onto my deepest of fears and most passionate loves. It floats them

In fourth grade our class was taken to the gym to see the older kids playing instruments. There were so many different instruments being played, the sounds they were making with their instruments were awesome. It looked like it would be a lot of fun to play an instrument in the band and I couldn’t wait to get to try it. They let us pick our top three instruments we thought we liked and let us see them closer up and try them out. The trumpet was the first and the only instrument I tried because once I played it I realized it was the perfect fit. I picked this instrument even though most of my other friends had picked different instruments; like the clarinet, the flute, and the several instruments that are part of the percussion

Music equals life, or the saying goes. I feel if I had dropped out of band I would have missed out on a great experience. The ability to play music is something that will live on in you for the rest of your life. Unlike playing a sport you can't ever get worn out or injured and lose the talent. All through school I played sports from baseball to soccer, sure it was fun but it was never my calling, but just being able to play music for a live audience is a feeling that is so amazing there are not enough

Music has always been my large part of my life. As a listener, I am able to empathize with emotion and artistic expressions to further understand and connect my own emotions. However, it wasn’t until I received my first guitar that I uncovered the transcendental, transformative, and magical idiosyncrasies of music. These qualities have been seamlessly spent with endless hours of unrelenting practice mixed with boundless creativity. Music has a way of capturing not only my emotions, but also my imagination. The effort and time I have invested into it has allowed me to create compositions and improvisations that alleviate my anxieties while daily enriching my life.