December

It’s probably common to think back to your first days of high school during your first days of college. My first days of high school I was just beginning to make my first true friends that I ever had, but I never thought I would be someone to consistently be friends with someone, as I never had before. My first days of college I was missing those friends from ninth grade, and I realized I’m not who I once was. And that’s completely for the better.

I never expected to become the person I am today. My hopes and dreams back then were not clear. I did not have a path that drastically changed throughout high school, as many people tell in their life stories, but rather I instead gained a semi-clear path that has been consistent for the past few years. I can’t say music itself changed me completely, but the experiences I had in high school with music changed me.

I talk about music a lot, but when you really care about something that often is the case. Ninth grade my best friend asked me to join a band for a talent show. Our band, although with many changes in members and fights along the way, lasted until twelfth grade and by far Fridays when we practiced were my favorite days. Tenth grade i joined chorus as a result of a deal that my two best friends and I would all join together. I didn’t expect much, as many people just take chorus as an “easy” class, but my year of tenth grade chorus transformed me into someone who not only began to understand written music, but in the long run formed my passion for music. I also ended up joining the musical, Oliver, in tenth grade, since my girlfriend was doing it. It may seem like a stupid reason to join, but clearly it was worth my time as the two next years I performed in the musicals, My Fair Lady and Cinderella, as well. Eleventh grade I auditioned for my male acapella group, the Crooners, and to my surprise I made it. It wasn’t a lack of confidence that made me feel that I wouldn’t get in, but it was more so that my knowledge of music, especially sight singing, was not on par with most of the other people in the group. But my teacher had expectations that I would improve, and she was right. Twelfth grade was a continuation of some of the same experiences, but I remember a certain experience that changed my views on my future.

The summer before twelfth grade I went on college visits. My first college visit was to New York University, which at that time I really thought I would be attending. Although I did not end up going to NYU, that college visit was necessary. My tour guide was speaking about her major, Music Business, which I at that point did not know existed. When I thought of music majors I thought of performance, composition, education, all aspects of music I could not see myself finding success in. The pure act of my tour guide stating that this was her major made me instantly realize this is where I wanted to be headed. I believe I even wrote one of my Macaulay application essays on this experience.

My favorite song throughout twelfth grade, which turned into the year I came to many realizations and conclusions about my high school years, was and still is December by Neck Deep, which I ironically started listening to frequently in December. I sang this for a college audition, I sing it in my car, I even sang it while playing hallway soccer in my dorm last week. Everyone has something that makes them happy at any given time, a song, a show, sleep. For me it is listening to this song (even though it isn’t an upbeat or extremely happy song).

Author: j.viache

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