What kind of musician are you?

I did not have a huge appreciation for classical music when I was at school. Partly because I didn't understand it and I thought that everyone who played it was either rigid or perfection. Both of which I felt I wasn't and so I longed for this thing they call 'jazz'. It sounded way 'cooler' to me and it was different to what everyone I knew was playing. My hunger for jazz was not fed at all while I was at school and I decided I needed to know more. 

After doing some job-shadowing  in the medical field in grade 11, I realised that it really interest me. Since I come from a medical family I thought my folks would be disappointed if I didn't follow suit. But after consulting them on my desire to study music my parents genuinely showed approval and, most importantly, support.

So off I went. I got an extra teacher to help me prepare for my audition and, to my amazement, I got into the South African College of Music (part of UCT). I won't bore you with details of my 4 year undergraduate degree (it's an honours degree) or the next 3 intense years of Master's. I do want to say, however that it has been 9 years since I last played in a classical wind ensemble. Now, this year being my 10th year out of school, I have joined the UCT wind ensemble. It has been both healing and refreshing. I have recently also joined Windworx and I am so pleased to say that last night we played in a concert and it was the first time in my life that I was not nervous to perform. Not even a pang of nerves and no blushing. It was the most relaxed performance and we even got a standing ovation.

I am enjoying the music we are playing, and I am loving that I am playing my instruments more. But the interesting thing is that we are mostly playing classical music. It's beautiful, challenging and I love it. I don't feel like people are judging me any more for not being good enough. I feel like I have something to bring to the table and I'm learning and improving.

I have come to realise that it doesn't have to be a specific kind of music that you play. It can vary or it can be the same old thing, but it's all about what you put in and get out of it that counts. I have an entrepreneurial outlook on many things, but currently I am playing in bands that allow me to just make music for the love of it. No strings attached.