“My proper start to music was 6th grade. Middle school was the place where it taught me the foundations of music, my base level theory, and all of that… I really started grounding myself in music near the end of my sophomore year, to where I was like, Okay, I commit to this, and it’s going to be my thing. There’s so much I like about playing—the styles we get to play, the sounds of the instruments I play. Several years ago, I [started playing] guitar and I’ve [played] that with worship band, and that’s different than a traditional symphonic band, but they’re two very unique places that hold a lot of joy.”

“I’ve been playing piano since I was four, and that’s kind of my main thing. Then, I joined orchestra in 7th grade on viola, so I play with our school’s chamber orchestra and symphony orchestra. I’ve played with other small ensembles here and there. I also joined Soul’d Out this year as a bass; my sister forced me to audition… I’ve never liked singing until this year, I was like, Oh, singing is actually really cool. I play piano at church, and that’s been a fun way to apply some of the things I’ve been learning in music and benefit the community. I think the biggest thing for me is seeing how… the educational aspect of music is so valuable, but also that music can really impact and benefit the community on a larger scale.I feel like I’ve invested so much time over the course of my life in music and as a result, I’ve become a better student [and] leader. I think you can apply that to anyrhing in life. As I’ve seen our orchestra program evolve over the years, I’ve seen how good our orchestra is when we’re all committed to the same vision, and I’ve also seen how it doesn’t work when people aren’t committed to the same vision; having seen both sides of that, I understood how important it is to invest in everything we do—invest in my education and invest in the people around me because the reward is so much greater.”

“My mom was my first influence. [She] had a clarinet at home and I had been really interested in joining band. I used YouTube videos to learn how to play it the summer before so I knew what I was doing on the first day [of middle school]. Music’s been with me for the past six years while I’ve grown a lot as a person. I’m a very different person from who I was in 6th grade. It’s always been something I loved; it’s been a fun outlet and I love to play together with other people. I sucked at first and usually when I suck at first at things I stop doing them, [but] this band has been my biggest community. I love getting to play with my friends, it’s made me have so much love for music. I think the community that comes with music, especially at Wilsonville, [has] made me more outgoing. I went up at the assembly and I played something on my clarinet in front of the whole school, and that was terrifying, but it wasn’t actually that bad.”

“There were 15 people in [orchestra] my freshman year, and then this year it’s more than double the size. It’s kind of interesting to be able to grow despite losing musicians and also gaining new musicians. Every year we have to learn how to adapt differently to fit the group. I think the different groups I’ve been in—like the Portland Youth Philharmonic, All-State, and other various orchestras—have allowed me to connect with other musicians. It’s changed my playing because now, I think about how I fit into a group rather than just by myself. I love the connections [in orchestra]. You get to meet a lot of people. I’ve just thought of how much time I’ve dedicated to music and it seemed like it would be the best value if I majored in it. I’ll be majoring in viola performance [in college]; I’ll still do some music composition, and play in the orchestra.”

“In 4th grade I was put into [begining band] by my mom in California. The elementary school and the middle school were right next to each other, so during one of my classes, you would just walk over to the band room in the middle school, and then they would just start teaching. I started on percussion. I’d say I’m a go-getter, so I always try and do my best. I really like being a member [who can] help a big group of people succeed. When I moved here, it was right after COVID and it helped improve my leadership. When I came in, there wasn’t very much leadership. It was very ‘everyone to themselves’; there wasn’t this big community, but I’ve realized the importance of leadership for sure. It really does influence the group; just by giving a compliment, it helps build the group in general. I’ve implemented leadership into my work and into group settings. I’m going into college for construction management, and being a good leader is the first part. Without band, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

“I had a scheduling error in 8th grade and they decided to put me in the beginner orchestra and I’ve just loved it since. At the start of high school I was really behind my peers because I had just started playing, but most of the people had been playing or a couple years. So, I practiced a lot for the two-ish years there and got quickly developed and it quickly became a core part of my life. Last year, [Mr. Davies] put me in chamber and that was the best thing that could have happened; being the worst person in a music group is super beneficial to me. I got so much better last year and I’m continuing to get better this year. Everyone here is very wonderful and very supportive.”

“I started with piano lessons, which is a start that many people relate to, but I would say it didn’t really foster into anything until I went into middle school 6th grade. I decided to do saxophone because I just knew there was a saxophone in my closet. I would say the people I know best in the school are people in band. It’s been a place to not only learn more about music, as I’ve grown to just like music more in general, but also to know other people and share the interest in music. The thing I’ve learned the most from music is just interacting with people you usually don’t interact with, because the variety of people you meet is very different. If you take certain classes, you’re going to see certain types of people, but the only thing people in music [have in common] is music.”

“I really love the feeling of when you’re playing really good music and you’re playing it really well. I love that music can communicate like emotions and feelings without words. You can tell what the song is about without any words being involved. At first when I started doing those things it was just something my mom was telling me to do; I got to a point where I realized I actually wanted to get good. That’s when I really started practicing and making sure I was getting better. My confidence grew with my musical abilities. Even though I’d performed a lot as a kid, not performing in front of other people during COVID caused me to get really nervous about playing in front of other people. So coming into high school after COVID and playing in front of people made me super nervous. And then when I started leaning more into leadership roles like concertmaster; I’ve had to do solos and play in front of the class. It’s helped me grow a lot as a leader and just grow in my confidence in my abilities and being able to play in front of other people. Music is something I’m gonna keep doing for sure. I plan on bringing my violin with me to college; it’s still definitely going to be one of my favorite hobbies.”

“Music is a real thing. I had an absent relationship with music for most of my life, and it was only after coming into high school I realized, Hey, I can play in a symphony orchestra and make the movie music you hear on TV. And that’s what music is! You’re creating something that other people listen to and enjoy. After entering high school I becane super motivated; I saw people who were better than me and was constantly surrounded by seniors I looked up to. I felt like I needed to grow my skills to be comparable to them. Wilsonville High School has given me so many opportunities to grow as a player and in turn strengthened my relationship with music. I enjoy it so much now because I’m confident in my playing abilities. Opportunities like Solo & Ensemble and honor bands have allowed me to go see and play with people who are a lot better than myself. I wouldn’t have had any of these opportunities if they weren’t pushed on me by my band director. The opportunities to participate in something that’s better than you, combined with students around you that are older than you, better than you. They motivate you to try harder and they tie you to the music community in a ‘We love you; do better’ kind of environment.”

“[I love] learning and tackling harder music; the community connects me to like-minded people, and I’ve made friends. [I want to play violin in college] to keep me involved with music because I enjoy doing it.”

“My parents started me [on violin] in third grade and I kind of hated it as a little kid, but the more I got to know the community throughout middle school and… high school, I formed these connections and it really cemented the enjoyment of music for me. I started playing trumpet the summer after my freshman year and kind of weaseled my way into pep band. One day I just happened to bring my trumpet with me [to a football game] and [the band] was short their lead trumpet; so I pulled out my trumpet and played with them. [Now] I play trumpet, viola, guitar, and occasionally, violin. Davies puts us in a position where we want to challenge ourselves, where we are left wanting more out of the program, and in doing that it causes us to achieve those goals and to reach out and really push ourselves.”