Music education changed my life. Before middle school, I always had the biggest fear of going onstage. I feared that people would judge me on how I looked or how I acted or if I even just showed my face. I was scared. I was afraid. But when I got to 6th grade, things changed. I joined an orchestra. I thought that playing an instrument would help me get my mind off of my stage fright. Then on the first day, I realized that you have to perform onstage. I almost had a panic attack. But then, I saw the other kids around me. The room was split, with half seemingly just as afraid as me, if not more. Others were ecstatic. And then there were those who were unfazed and didn’t have a care in the world.
But I realized that I wasn’t the only one who was afraid of going onstage. That gave me a bit of confidence. Right before my first concert, I thought, “You need to show your face, you don’t have to worry about people judging you. If they do, then they’re just jealous of what you have achieved.” Then I went on and had a blast. I had lost my fear of showing my face and going onstage. Look at me now, 16 and still playing in orchestra with not a fear in the world of going up and playing. I have to play my own solos now. And I’m having a blast.
People always say that schools need to focus on just science and math. I’m here to tell you that music and the arts really matter too. They sure have helped me.
Adrian Aguirre, Sandy
