Taylor Ozbun

4yr member

Name

Taylor Ozbun

Choir involvement

Women's Ensemble

Clef Hangers

Voices of the Pack

Voice part

Alto

Favorite moment

I had such a wonderful time at the choir picnics. Just us choir kids, frolicking around in the park without a care in the world. I always looked forward to them. More specifically, one of my all-time favorites was when we were practicing Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" while laying on the floor. On Pajama Day, too! Something about that was so surreal, just hearing the sound above us instead of to our sides. To be fair, every moment we got to practice something in its entirety was phenomenal. Especially if it was in the choir cave/lair. Oh yeah, and Food Day for Clef Hangers. Can't forget about Food Day.

Since I left GOHS, my life.....

...has changed in many ways for the better. I will always keep GOHS choir near and dear to my heart, but I've come to love so much of what UCSD has to offer. I've taken so many fascinating classes and learned more about my major (Molecular/Cell Biology) and career options (genetic sequencing and cancer research, ideally). I even got a job working at the best dining hall on campus, making pizzas, smoothies, and salads. What I'm most grateful for is the amazing group of friends I've had the pleasure of making. I met most of my current friend group through my boyfriend, and we've bonded even more strongly through playing Dungeons and Dragons together. Our campaign has been going on for well over a year, and we're close to finishing our characters' stories. I'm now 100% obsessed with D&D. Overall, I'm just looking forward to where I'm going next. Hopefully once quarantine's been lifted, I can find work in a lab on campus. That would be a fantastic opportunity.

How did you discover singing?

I've been singing little songs from Disney movies all my life, but I REALLY discovered it through you, Mr. Park. I joined Gardner Middle School choir completely on a whim (I actually wanted to join band, but didn't want to have to lug around an instrument all day). Best decision of my life. My eyes were opened to an incredible world of music that I'd never known about before. I was able to explore my own voice for the first time, finding my place as a perpetual Alto. And I also found out that I had perfect pitch, too! High school was even better because we got to perform more worldly and intricate music, some of which I still find myself listening to every once in a while.

If you can talk to your high school self now, what would you have said?

My earlier high school self went through somewhat of an identity crisis, so I would tell her: "Things will settle in soon, don't worry. These next years will genuinely be the best of your life. And yes, you DO end up with a boyfriend eventually. He's an absolute gift. Don't focus on how stupid you think you were in the past, because that's always how your past self will look, anyway. Just focus on taking things one day at a time, keeping your eye on the future. Enjoy these simple moments while they last. And never stop doing what you love. Your future self certainly hasn't."