Passion From Music by Madison

Passion From Music by Madison - March 2024 Scholarship Essay

To me, hard work is built upon diligence and passion. There have been numerous instances that emphasized these elements, but the most prominent of them have been working within my school’s jazz band program. While I am capable of learning so much more about hard work in my life, I feel that these experiences have given me ample tools to effectively work with others now.

I am a member of a high school jazz band ensemble that routinely takes on challenging pieces of music. My band director emphasizes it is imperative not just to focus on how each individual sounded but to listen to the dynamics and performance of the entire band. To play each challenging song, I need to adjust my sound based on how other members of the band were playing. First-chair players were mentors to underclassmen to ensure their musicianship was on track for the success of the overall jazz or full-school band.

For one of our concerts, our band director tasked us with splitting into smaller ensembles and performing a selected piece in an upcoming concert. We were allotted time in class to practice and familiarize ourselves with our selection. I chose to be a part of a group of three seniors, including myself and our saxophone section leader. I was the youngest. The others had much more experience than I did and made use of musical techniques more effectively.

Each time we practiced our piece, I learned something from my section leader. She emphasized the importance of adding “feeling” to our playing. In other words, to make a song the best it could be, it is important to be passionate and add emotion to the piece. Even after this experience, I applied this perspective to other aspects of my life, such as collaborating with other people or helping my community. I earned the title of Communications Director for my school’s Tri-M Music Honor Society and was instrumental in increasing membership by more than 200%. I volunteered for 65+ hours of community service at my library and school, bettering my local and academic. I seized the opportunity to define myself by the passion I had for impacting people, and I know I am capable of much more. Some of these accomplishments are unrelated to music and demonstrate how I have implemented my section leader’s advice throughout the years.

When it was our turn to perform at the concert, the sound as it echoed throughout the auditorium was unimaginable. With the experiences of our section leader, our music transcended what we thought was possible.