Age: 23
From: Wichita Falls, TX
Instrument: French Horn
School: University of Southern California, MM Horn Performance
Beverage drinking: Trader Joe's Harvest Blend Herbal Tea
"I don’t really fit into the mold of most classical musicians because I don’t want to play in an orchestra someday. I love marching band, and I love wind ensemble, and I want to play for Broadway. I mean, I have no idea how to get there. Sometimes in not knowing I feel like I’m in a rut and I feel like, ‘I can’t do that, I’m never going to break into that world’, so I start to think, ‘well what should I do instead’. I become pretty miserable with all of these ‘what if’ scenarios, thinking that one day I’ll be living in a van down by the river and I’m gonna be doing the stuff that I hate. But I just have to remember that I want to play for Broadway. And in just remembering that I want it so badly is enough for me to get past those feelings and, at the very least, just try. But, I feel like I have definitely lost sight of that before though, for a while. It would always kind of be there, but because of those feelings of uncertainty I would just stop thinking about it. But then, this summer at Blue Lake, there was this sweet little girl in my unit who loved Broadway, and she and I would talk about it. It brought it all back and reminded me that this little girl, she’s so sweet and she loves Broadway and that’s her thing, and that was my thing. It was like I was seeing myself when I was a little girl. Someday maybe, Lord willing, I’ll play for Broadway. Dr. [Kristy] Morrell always says to me that success is different to each person. That, to me, playing in a Broadway orchestra, would equal success.
Advice to other musicians: "Music school really does beat the joy of music out of you, unfortunately. But, you should just listen to the music you love, and what made you want to pursue music in the first place. it does not even have to be classical music. It can be rock, pop, folk, or whatever that means a lot to you, just sit there and listen to it. Don’t try and analyze it, don’t think about it. Music should just be enjoyed."
Inspirational Quote: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”- Yoda
Charity/Cause: Susie's Senior Dogs
Do you think Inspiration is important?: "If you’re not inspired, it’s like any old person working a dead end job that they hate. No one’s going to want to listen to someone who’s hates what they’re doing, because that will definitely come out in your playing. It’s like that old saying, ‘people wont remember what you said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel’ (Maya Angelou). If you’re not moving someone, people are not going to remember. If you’re not inspired then you’re just going to sound like crap"