Day 5

Describe a risk that you have taken and discuss its impact on your life. (Kalamazoo College/93)

Last year, my high school jazz band auditioned and was accepted into a nation-wide jazz band competition in Savannah, Georgia. One of the pieces we were assigned to play was called Ja-Da, a simple little tune that we needed to make our own. Our band director suggested we started the piece with something different, creating a new improvised section to start. I wanted to badly to play a solo at the beginning, completely alone. I wanted to show my peers I could really improvise, especially because I played french horn, an instrument very rarely used in jazz band. I never volunteered much in jazz band but that one day, I raised my hand boldly, suggesting that I would start playing alone at the beginning, by myself, no chords, the music drawn from my head. It was a major risk. If I failed, the entire jazz band be made a fool of. But, if I succeeded, we would truly leave a lasting impression on the judges.

For so many rehearsals, i was yelled at. My solo sounded weird, I missed notes, I was out of tune. I would start shaking at rehearsal because I was so worried about embarassing myself in front of my peers.

Finally, we arrived to Georgia, the site of the competition. After much yelling and frustration during our rehearsals, the day came for the competition. I didn’t eat that day, I stayed in my room—warming up and practicing while the others relaxed at the hotel pool in the morning. I was too focused to think of anything other than my music. At the warmup room, we sounded fantastic. I was so excited to show the audience how good a band we really were.

The stage was lit in the dark room, and the crowd fell silent. It was time. I sung out the melodies through my horn, and it was perfect. My band mates all called out to me, acknowledging my solo, and by the end of the performance, we were all swaying and dancing to the music, almost lifted out of our seats.

The time came for the finalists to be announced, and we were in. I was screaming with joy. They announced that, at the final concert, our band would perform that same piece, Ja-Da. I was so thrilled. I would get to play in front of hundreds at the finals concert.

That performance went even better.

Remembering playing that solo has helped me perservere through frustrations with my music because I know that even when a piece or a technique or a problem can seem so frustrating and hopeless, the end result can be so beautiful that its worth all the struggle.