Jazz

The icy-blue tips of snow capped mountains are visible everywhere, sprinkled across the horizon.  The peaks sing of majesty in a dignified hum of wind and weather and I can’t help but feel insignificant below them.  Behind me, Hohensalzburg Fortress lies upon a hill, home to possibly the most incredible views on earth, views that cause my breath to hitch and my eyes to gaze in wonder.  The square I stand in thrives on chaotic routine, masked by simplicity.  Local women buying freshly baked bread gossip amongst themselves and tourists mingle among them with shopping bags and recently purchased lederhosen. I am an amazed witness to an astounding display of culture.1

With a nod, I refocus my attention and shake off the slight nerves beginning to awaken.  I raise my trumpet to my lips, take a breath and begin to play.  The rich tones of a Latin solo reverberate off the ancient walls of the Austrian cathedral some five hundred feet away from me, and I can sense people turning towards the sound.  Eyes closed, feet spread, with my trumpet high, I create a sultry jazz mood as I play, gaining more and more confidence.  With a burst of air, I hit the climax of the solo and am brought back to reality as the sounds of other instruments begin to join me.  The applause startles me as nearly 200 people stop their busy lives, just to listen to this American high school jazz ensemble.2

This is my band; for two weeks last spring, we toured Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, spreading our love of jazz to a culture that soaked it up.  We lived the life of a band on the road - hours on our tour bus, nights in hotels, and bonding incredibly as a group.  This is my band, my family.  We played jazz for German students in Berlin, in a Dresden jazz club, and at the Tunnel Vienna Jazz Club.  Yet the feeling of playing that Latin solo in Kapitalplatz, Salzburg, Austria is still indescribable.  People were stopping simply because I was playing.  In that moment, I changed someone through music.3

Perhaps I am younger than most who claim they have experienced something life changing, but at that moment I realized I can’t live without music.  I know how lucky I’ve been; annual trips to New York City to attend “A Great Night in Harlem” with invitations to the after-party, a European Tour, winning a jazz competition in New Orleans, the thrill of opening for the Count Basie Big Band as the lead trumpet in a high school jazz ensemble.  This is the life I want.  Over my high school career, jazz has changed my life, bringing about the transformation from a soft-spoken freshman into a self-assured senior who can’t wait to grasp every opportunity life offers.  What I have learned in band applies to life; I am a lead player, confident and willing to take risks; a section leader, always striving to help my classmates; I am a group member, knowing when to back down and give others the spotlight.  No matter where life leads me, I will be sure of one thing - I am a musician.4