In third grade I remember one day when a group of high school students came to Salem Heights, my elementary school, and each of them gave a quick introduction and demo of the instrument that they played. After hearing quite a few of the band instruments, I was not impressed. None of the string instruments struck my fancy until I heard the cello. Ahh. The sound it produced filled the air with a soothing, warm, and rich tone. I knew instantly that someday I wanted to play the cello as beautifully as I had just heard. So, I went home and told my parents about my dream to learn to play the cello and they fully supported me. Fourth grade is the age when you could begin orchestra at Salem Heights and so the next year is when my journey to become a cellist would officially begin. Picking out my cello was a HUGE deal to me -- it had to be perfect. The one I chose was golden auburn color, shiny and smooth, three-quarter size. Proud is the best way to describe my feelings when I waltzed through the doors of Salem Heights carrying my prized possession. Unfortunately, before me or anyone in my orchestra class could actually play our instruments, we had to learn to read music, music symbols, technique, and bow hold. An assignment we were given was to make a protective case made out of cloth for our bows. I remember feeling proud for winning the competition for the best case, but that didn't compare to the sense of accomplishment I felt when I got to be the first person in class to get to play with the bow on the string instead of just using pizzicato! Obviously, it was a rough couple of years fine tuning (pun intended) my cello playing capabilities, but my skills grew exponentially through out the years and into middle school. In 6th grade I was placed in intermediate orchestra which was typically reserved for 7th graders. In 7th and 8th grade I was in advanced orchestra and participated in the All-City Competition. As high school drew nearer, I began to contemplate whether or not I wanted to continue playing the cello. The high school I was about to enter was known for its prestigious orchestra program, an idea that was alluring yet intimidating at the same time. I reminisced about the day in 3rd grade when I dreamed of being a great cellist. I made it my new goal that before I graduated Sprague High School, I would make it into Camerata, their most prestigious orchestra. Up until that point, I had a new orchestra teacher every year which facilitated an unsteady learning system, and many of my friends quit because of it which was discouraging. However, I had a dream, and I wasn't going to let uncontrollable circumstances dictate the future of that dream. Sprague had three orchestras based on skill level: String, Symphony, and Camerata, lowest to highest respectively. After being in Symphony sophomore year, I was determined to make it into Camerata for my final two years of high school. After a lot of hard work and putting in extra hours of practice, I auditioned and made it. I was one of 22 other fortunate students to be selected for Camerata and I couldn't have been happier. The music we played in Camerata both my junior and senior years was like nothing I had ever even set my eyes on, it was difficult and new, but it was rewarding. Each one of us had a passion for what we did which is why in those two years we managed to win numerous awards. My junior year, we were the Overall Winner and Gold-1st rating at the Heritage Festival in New York City, were recognized by Sprague's Music Departments with a Grammy Signature School designation, took 1st at the Salem-Keizer School District invitational Competition and last but not least, were the OSAA State Champions. During the 2009-10 school year, senior year, Camerata achieved another year of remarkable accomplishments that started with again receiving the Mark of Excellence as a national winner for high school string orchestras, continued with capturing first place at the district festival, and culminated by repeating as OSAA championship. I remember the feeling of anticipation waiting for the judges to announce the first place winner at the state competitions -- we were all holding hands, squeezing tightly holding our breath. When we were announced, we rushed up on stage cheering and yelling with excitement. It was overwhelming, in a good way of course. One of my favorite experiences was when myself and the 6 other graduating Camerata students played a cover of Coldplay's Viva la Vida at our own graduation ceremony. Our classmates started singing along while throwing up inflatables into the air. In my mind, I had done much more than accomplish my goal of being a great cellist; I had established a high work ethic, learned the importance and values of teamwork, and made life long friends who all shared the same dream as me: to create beautiful music.
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