What makes me love to play music

The holiday season is upon us, and the holidays are filled with music! Since I’ve been hearing lots of music (albeit, Christmas music) all month, I’ve decided to reflect on a few reasons why music is important to me.

Passion and Balance

Even though I am primarily interested in going into a STEM field, I have continued to play music because I truly enjoy it. Music has been a part of my life since I was extremely young, and it has taught me to be well rounded in my interests and passionate in all my endeavors.

Persistence

Constantly motivating myself to practice—even when I really don’t feel like it—has taught me how to make a plan and stick to it. Music proves that you can’t accomplish much without hard work, because even the most talented musicians still practice.

Expression

I often use music as a stress reliever. Whenever I am sick of doing homework, I decide to practice my instrument in order to take a break. Phrasing with the music and feeling those emotions takes my mind off of my stress.

Friendship

I’ve made so many friends through music, and I’ve also just met some really incredible people. It’s amazing how many different people with different interests all have one interest in common!

Not only leadership... but also teamwork

At least in my school orchestra, I am section leader for the woodwinds and the clarinet section. Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to act as an example for other students and help them when they have questions. However, I’ve also learned to blend my sound with other players and work with my section to make sure we sound the best as a whole.

Hopefully, this post has given you some insight into why music is important—at least to me, anyway. Music means something different to everyone. I believe that the lessons I’ve learned from music can be applied in many situations, no matter what I eventually pursue after High School. Happy Holidays, and happy playing!