Black,+Benjamin

Ben's Page

1) One of my goals is to improve my skills at playing **soprano sax** in jazz band. It is important to know how to play all of the saxophones and the only way to get better is to practice and to play it more often.

2) Another goal is to improve my **sightreadin**g skills, which can only be done by practice. By sight reading more, my skills will improve over the coarse of the year. I agree! You may want to get some music just for sight reading!

3) Another goal of mine is to work to make **less stupid mistakes.** The best way to do this is to focus more and to practice. How do you intend on measuring your improvement with this goal? You may want to consider revising this.

My most significant musical experience was participating in the music program in high school. Not in one particular event, but through out my years in high school, music was always the base of my high school life, and always kept me grounded. I feel that music gives me the chance to express my emotions, in ways that nothing else can. Because of this, it has been essential to my high school career. Although I am not considering a career in music, I have found music to be an essential part of education. If someone asks me if they should join band, chorus, or another group, I always tell them that they should, because it will allow them to be who they really are. The friendships that you form are unique because they provide a base for you when you are in high school. Although it is sentimental, the best way to put it is that those friendships form a family, and a home. Music in high school is my favorite musical memory because it is, altogether, an experience. Of course, certain events have been fun and others have been eye opening. I find it difficult to pinpoint one, and in trying to decide, it was clear to me that the most impactful part of music to me was simply its existence in my high school years, and that it allowed me to be who I am. Honestly, I don’t know who I will be without music as my focus in college, but with any luck I will be able to continue it to some degree. Finally, I think that what we have in Hollidaysburg is unique. Although both extremely intense and wildly involved, the Music Department is both respected and highly participatory. Ultimately, thanks to music and the experience that I had in high school, I am ready to begin my college career.

Very nice!!