Fight Of Love

After what was easily one of the most stressful weeks of my college career, I returned home to hear the Chicago Staff Band perform. I was also fortunate enough to perform with them on two numbers as a member of the Quincy Park Band, which I will always treasure as a special memory.

I was reminded of how fortunate I am to have been playing at the Salvation Army in the brass band for nearly eight years. Being a part of the Quincy Corps has truly helped me to grow deeper in my faith, along with introducing me to some of my closest friends. But one of the most important things that I have learned is that the joy of helping others grow closer to Him by sharing the gift of music is never ending until the war is over, and I am constantly reminded that God is using me to help fight in the battle.

This weekend was a reminder that even when the storm gets tough, we have to trust in Him. If we need to cry, cry to Jesus...because when the flood comes, He will help us through. God doesn't put us in situations that we can't handle..and those hard/tough situations are often used to remind us to put our trust in Him and follow His plan for us.

The Soldiers Hymn is one of my favorite songs from the Salvation Army. And even though I am not a soldier, the concept of wearing a uniform holds true for all Christians.  We are all a part of God's army. We are here to share God's word and be victorious in the glorious fight of love. This song is a reminder of the fight that we, as Christians, are all fighting together. 

Peace, love, and blessings to all of my friends and family. Each one of you holds a special place in my heart, for which I am eternally grateful. ❤️ 

Why do I blog?

Over the past few months, I have had several people ask me about my blog...so I thought I would share a little bit about my blogging journey, and the reason(s) behind my blog.

My blogging journey actually started back in high school, but I never made my blog posts public...

Fast forward to spring semester of my freshman year of college.  I decided I wanted to start a blog for myself that I would feel comfortable sharing with others...which is how we get my current blog platform of "My Trumpet and What It Teaches Me."

The first couple of times I shared my blog, it was a little nerve racking..because when you post it for others to see, you are literally putting your thoughts/views out there for the entire world to see.  But the more I shared my blog on social media, the more I felt comfortable sharing.

SO..now for the question of "Why do I blog?"

I blog for myself.  And while I hope that I can touch other people through my blog, that is not the main reason that I blog.

I blog because I like writing. Sometimes when you write (type) things out, it helps to organize thoughts and clear your mind.  I'm also a bit of a grammar freak, so blogging fulfills part of the need for proper grammar in my life. (HA!)

I blog because it's fun.  It's an outlet outside of music where I feel safe.  It's an outlet outside of music where I can freely express myself. 

I blog because my life is busy...and sometimes I need some time for self-care.  I need time to express what I am going through..and sometimes that means expressing myself outside of music.  With that being said, I sometimes find it extremely hard to organize my thoughts into words...because words are hard...but as a future MT-BC, I know that it is extremely important to know how to put your thoughts into words.

Each blog post is simply about a thought or experience that I have had.  Sometimes I start a blog post and go back and finish it four months later...but sometimes I am driving home from school and come up with a blog post idea, and it only takes me twenty minutes to write that specific blog post..it all just depends.

God has blessed me with the gift of writing..and I am simply using that gift to share my life experiences with others.  One of the coolest things is when I write a blog post about something that is happening in my life, and then my friends come up and tell me: "I really needed that." or "I really enjoyed you blog post last night." because those are the reminders that God has a unique plan for me, and that He is using me to help others with their journey of life.  

So, thank you to all of my blog followers! XOXO

Why I'll never complain about playing scales again...

You know, sometimes we complain about things that aren't worth complaining about.

I have had some stressful days over the past few weeks. Often times when I am stressed, I start thinking about those who are no longer with us. One day as I began to think about my friends who are no longer here, I thought about the night that my friend Zak was killed.  I was scrolling through my twitter on a stressful day, and I found the tweet that I made the day that he was taken from this earth.  It read: "I've played through my scales so many times in the past week that it makes me want to vomit."

I mean, that's true.  As I prepared for my third seamster jury, I played through my scales so many freaking times...I was sick of playing them.  But when I look back on that tweet, I can't help but laugh at me for complaining about playing my scales.  I would give so much for my friend to be here practicing his scales...I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't be complaining about practicing his scales..because that's part of what you do to get better...so why was I complaining about practicing them? Shouldn't I want to practice them? Isn't that a part of what will make me a better trumpet player and musician?

This semester, I have been working a lot on scale studies...but not just for the sake of practicing my scales.  I am using them to work on volume, double/triple-tonguing, range, and anything else that you can think of..

And you know what, I'm not complaining...when I took away the mentality that I was "practicing my scales again," practicing the scale studies became a lot more fun...well, as fun as practicing scales can be...

And guess what? Working on those scale studies every single day has improved my overall playing so much!!

SO, the moral of the story is: always trust your teachers and their knowledge...and practice those darn scales even when you don't want to!