Jazz Ensemble was….by far…..my FAVORITE course taken my freshmen year. I took this course both semesters of my freshmen year (and the first semester of my sophomore year) because it satisfied my Aesthetic Pillar for the Honors Program but mostly because music is a BIG part of my life and I did not want to give it up quite yet before I move on to nursing. This ensemble completely blew me away ON THE FIRST DAY with the quality of sound they can produce and the level of friendship that completely engulfs the ensemble and flows through each person at all times. Even though I have been playing the alto saxophone for most of my life and I was very confident in my skill, I was very nervous to join this group because I knew I had a lot to learn if I was going to be a serious contributing member of this group. This group accepted me with open arms and even gave me moments in their concerts to show my skills in solos. They began working with me to build up my confidence and musicianship. In no time at all I began receiving compliments from the ensemble during practice on how much I have improved my skills and confidence. At the first concert of my first semester, I received a standing ovation from the audience for my outstanding solo and even a compliment from my Jazz professor (whose skills seemed that of a deity and whom I looked up to). I felt like I was a professional musician for a moment that felt like an eternity and I was so incredibly happy. Since then, I have improved and honed my skills even more and now I feel like I am a contributing member of this ensemble. I love this class so much because it is my outlet from all of the stress of college, responsibilities, self-doubts, fears, and life.
My artifact for this class, as seen below, is a picture of me and my close friend at our first Jazz Concert at Longwood University.
