Music Inspiration by Ashton

Music Inspiration by Ashton - March 2021 Scholarship Essay

Music has always been a part of my life and will forever be present. Since the day I started to read, I began to play the piano. Since that day, I've become a highly skilled pianist and have taken on the challenge of learning more instruments such as the trombone, baritone, and trumpet. I wanted to continue my career in music education, but my life had other plans for me. Instead of continuing to pursue my dream of music, I've run off the path towards a completely unrelated field. Wildlife Biology.
Through this time, my band director has always been there for encouragement. He was the one who helped me pick up my trombone for the first time and learn out to blow air and move the slide at the same time. As a sixth-grader, that was insanely complicated for me. As the years flew by, I became the best trombone player in my band. My director was always there to help guide me through struggles both in school and in my personal life. He was an encouragement to everyone and wanted people to grow strong together and lift each other up. He wasn't just teaching music, but he was teaching skills that we would need for the future. Skills that I haven't learned in any other class, book, or activity.
You can only succeed in life if you are dedicated to what you do. My director encouraged us every day to strive for our best. He pushed us to our limits and made sure that we became the best marcher on the field or best musician during the concert. He taught me to never let yourself down, but to always push towards being better. I applied this to my life this year when the virus hit. School was split into to different sessions. All of my friends were in the afternoon session and I was in the morning. I felt so lonely and depressed. For months I kept my head down and just let school go by like it was nothing. I was wasting my time. Then I remembered how the only way to succeed and overcome this depression was to stay dedicated to becoming positive. That's what I did. Every day, I made sure to wake up and tell myself this would be a great day! Since then, my grades have started to improve and I've been working out my college plans.
Don't be the one who follows, but be the one who leads. My director has taught me so much when it comes to being a leader. I started out as a section leader my sophomore year of high school, and continued to be one through my senior year. He encouraged me to become the leader where others would want to become like me instead of never wanting to be like me. He showed me that being a leader is tough and it will test your limits. Being a section leader was tough, but it helped me grow more confident. I began to be more active in school and helping out more in some of my clubs. I became the captain of my scholar bowl team and an officer for my FFA Chapter. I wanted to help more than just those in band. The things I normally would try to avoid my freshman year of high school, I was starting to seek out and accomplish. I made more friends and achieved more goals than I would have ever thought I would do.
My director has changed not only my academic goals, but my entire future. His hard work and kindness has not only helped me improve, but everyone else in the band. He's taught me skills that I never would have learned in any other club. He's helped me build friendships that I never saw coming. I'm very thankful for his help and I'm ready to conquer the future.