In high school, the music director entrusted me with all things percussion. Newcomers to the percussion section would easily adapt and quickly become successful while allowing the entire band to progress at a faster rate. Further into my musical career, I was given the opportunity to conduct a piece of my own choosing with the ensemble. The winter concert of 2023 was my first conducting debut. ‘Nerve-racking’ and exhilarating, this was only the beginning. Fall of 2024 was when I conducted again and in the same time frame I had the opportunity to perform in the Region V (Southeast Alaska) Honor Band. I’ve continued conducting with a performance at the 2025 Region V music festival and finally at a close at the spring concert. 

In my first semester of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the doors were opened to many musical opportunities. The Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra performed “The Ring Without Words,” an arrangement of Richard Wagner’s famous opera by Lorin Maazel. Further through the season we performed Jurassic Park Live in Concert. In the university’s percussion ensemble, we had the opportunity to travel to the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (during its 50th anniversary). The UAF percussion ensemble performed John Luther Adam’s “Inuksuit” at the university and at PASIC alongside many other talented percussionists. The semester ended with a performance of Ivan Trevino’s “Gardens.”