For this project, we needed to use a personal story that we have to say something about who we are in under 650 words. I really liked this essay and it is actually the one I used for my college applications. This version is the culmination of many different drafts and revisions that I wrote over about 3 months. This was a really big lesson to me because I learned the importance of revising and using drafts to get a final product that I’m proud of. I also feel like this essay captures who I am and what my thoughts were at the time very well which was the purpose of the essay. Overall, this project was one of my favorites in English so far and it taught me a lot.
My computer screen lit up my face as the clicks of my mouse echoed around the silent halls of my house. The gears turned in my head as I pieced together this puzzle of leads, chords, and plucks into a cohesive musical piece. My hours of work had culminated in this one moment in December of 2020, and I was ready to attach it to my application for music production camp. I was a little nervous, but mostly just excited for what the following summer would entail.
Music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, an interest passed down by both of my parents. I first started playing piano when I was 7, and after a break, restarted when I was 15. Piano opened my eyes to many other aspects of music, including music production, which I immediately became obsessed with. I worked on my skills whenever I could; one day, when I got an email from one of my teachers about a music production summer camp, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It would be the perfect way for me to take my passion to the next level, and I knew I had to apply.
Two months passed by, and the results were finally out. As soon as I could, I opened my email and sure enough, there it was. I opened it up to reveal the contents. Rejected. I stared at the screen for a few more seconds, not bothering to read the rest. All of my work on the application felt pointless, and for the next month it was the only thing I could think about. I had lost all motivation and couldn’t even bring myself to create more music.
However, I was still listening to a lot of music, which at first only frustrated me more. Why couldn’t I just make something that others would want to listen to, something I was actually proud of? Over time, I started realizing that I would never get there if I just stopped making music; I couldn’t just let go of my dream that easily. Self pity was not going to get me anywhere, so I decided to get back to work. Since I couldn’t attend a program, I began looking up the resources myself. I followed different youtube videos to learn as many different techniques as I could, to expand my knowledge and to keep improving. Once I got back into the rhythm of things, I began creating new music as much as I was before, and I loved every second of the process.
After a few months, I decided to open up my old application file and listen to the piece I’d submitted the prior year. To my surprise, it wasn’t really as good as I remembered. My new pieces were much better, and I understood the mistakes that I’d made when I put together the original piece. Now, with a clear mind, I could see why I didn’t get accepted. But, more importantly, I could see all the improvements that I had made since then. It only continued to fuel my passion to get better.
Since that time, I’ve continued to produce music, and I am a much better musician today. I realized that one of my biggest challenges was that my music wasn’t unique enough, but studying and experimenting with new sounds has helped me develop my own voice. As I’ve become more creative, I’ve had more fun, and I know I will only continue to improve. None of this growth would have been possible if I hadn’t been forced to face disappointment. Failure will always be a barrier to overcome, but through this process, I have developed a whole new point of view on improvement, creativity, and perseverance.