Singing was my first musical love, and piano playing soon followed.  It was only natural for me to join both band & chorus in 5th grade. My small school had an enthusiastic music director, and his encouragement kept me in marching, concert, & jazz/pep band through high school. I didn’t originally plan to play music at EIU, but after I got some info on the marching band, I thought, what the heck?

Going from my high school band of about 50 to one of over 200 was a rat…an intimidating experience, but I was quickly welcomed into the fold by EIU’s veteran members. I went on to join the concert band and symphonic wind ensemble, allowing me to play music more interesting and challenging than I ever imagined I’d have the chance or ability to play.

Even though I majored in English, my involvement in music (and Tau Beta Sigma) brought me my most lasting friendships from college and some of my most memorable experiences. The exposure I had to multifaceted types of people, music, and playing instilled in me a deep love of music that continues.

And now my son plays trombone, and my daughter sings and plays piano. So the beat goes on.

The content of this Blog article or Banded Story is the intellectual property of the author(s) and cannot be duplicated without the permission of KHS America and/or the author(s). Standard copyright rules apply.