“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”

This quote by Plato describes exactly how I feel about music. Music found me when I was in my lowest place and brought me to the place where I am now. I remember a time when I was not aware of music. I was extremely concerned with what people thought of me, I was afraid of being different and I had no idea of who I was. I remember being in church all of my life and hearing music and harmonizing but never actually understanding what I was doing. People used to tell me that I could sing, but I never really believed them. “People at church think everyone can sing,” I used to say. I remember being in middle school and watching the other girls around me. I used to wish that I could be like them and happy. I also remember making up songs about how I felt. I can honestly say that I had very little confidence and when I felt discouraged, I would just sing. It was not until I gained knowledge of music that I knew that I had some natural talent. As I began to learn, grow and understand music I started to learn exactly who I was. Singing became more than just something that I did, it became my outlet.

When I was accepted into the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, I was thrilled. At that point, I didn’t know anything about music. I just knew that I wanted to sing. Once I grew accustomed to the artistic environment, I began to grow. And I gained more confidence and I discovered who I was. Music found its way into my heart, mind, body and soul. Being at an institution like Ellington, I’ve had the opportunity to perform many times. At first, I was nervous about the whole idea and I did not have much faith in myself. The more I was onstage, the easier it became, now I perform often without even thinking about it. With every performance came more confidence and my sense of stage presence also grew. However, after the performance was over, I would always be on a musical high. On stage, I am restricted to the repertoire that is requested or planned, but beyond the stage my heart was always full of music. Even now, melodies and songs run through my mind.

I have performed with many groups and ensembles, but what happens off stage seems to be what matters the most. The process of putting together a successful production takes many hours of hard work and dedication. Being in the arts has taught me lessons about life that I could not have gotten anywhere else. I have acquired knowledge that only music can teach. Not only have I learned valuable life skills and lessons, I learned about myself. It is very important to know exactly who you are when you are about to face the world. I am confident; I am a growing, striving, and learning musical artist. I’m the girl with the flower in her hair. I am a vocalist, and I learned that from the music that found its way into my heart.