Over the past month, I’ve listened to the same playlist on repeat, practiced the same few songs on my bass and thought about these songs when I’m not practicing. Logging hours on MuseScore, a music arranging software, and iRealPro, a software that gives access to lead sheets online, I’ve envisioned exactly how I want to perform these songs during my capstone project, which will complete my music major at American University.
Although it’s my biggest musical undertaking to date, the dedication required for the senior recital is nothing new to me. When I was in third grade, I fell in love with the cello, my first instrument, and practiced it out of sheer passion. In high school, I spent study halls in the practice room teaching myself to play the double bass with the support of my orchestra teacher, Mr. Reichenfeld.
My love for music grew within the walls of Mt. Lebanon’s public schools, which boast strong music programs, from the days of first grade music class to the excellence of high school ensembles. The school district’s integration of music into education is accessible for students and helps people like me find their life course.
My elementary school, Jefferson Elementary, had an instrument tryout day to usher kids into the orchestra. I tried violin, viola and cello, and I landed on the cello because my dad said the instrument was so big compared to little eight-year-old me that it would look like the instrument was playing itself. I always looked forward to weekly lessons with Mr. Cook, and I took pride in my improvement as a player, filling out my weekly practice log and playing as much as I could.
I continued my instrument into middle and high school, then switched to the bass when Mr. Reichenfeld said he wanted more bassists in the orchestra. I was a sophomore and eager to learn, so I elected myself as a candidate. I practiced daily, and within the same year, I played bass in the orchestra concerts. I also joined the school’s jazz band for fun.
Eventually, I became section leader for the bassists and vice president of the orchestra. My passion, combined with ample opportunities to play, led me to spend more and more time on the craft.
By the time I graduated, I realized how much I had grown as a musician. Not only had I taught myself a second instrument, but I had excelled at it and bridged it into new genres. I was always happiest playing the bass, and as I looked to my next steps at American University, I knew I wanted to continue playing music there as a hobby. I didn’t know I would end up majoring in it.
I really couldn’t imagine an educational career without it because of Mt. Lebanon’s support for the arts. I joined American University’s jazz band, which led to private lessons with my current instructor, Joshua Bayer, and hitting the practice rooms daily to improve as a jazz musician. Eventually, I went all in, and now I write about music, perform gigs and seek out just what it is that makes music important to others.
I’m extremely fortunate that Mt. Lebanon schools treated music as a vital part of learning. Even for students who don’t pursue music vocationally, it teaches creative skills, hard work, expands the mind and acts as an emotional outlet. Music classes have always been the highlight of my education, and in my opinion, they must be supported through all steps of the educational career.
As I round out my undergraduate career, I know I want to continue playing, creating and writing about music. It is intrinsically a part of who I am. Music education has opened endless doors for me, and that started at Jefferson Elementary School.