Music is omnipresent in my life; it is woven into my everyday tasks, my work, my leisure, and my subconscious. In elementary school, I was eager to be involved in choir, auditioning every year for the solos at my school. I took a brief hiatus in seventh grade, giving art class a shot instead, but switched classes in the last two months of the year because the choir needed more voices. In high school, I dove into the performing arts, and they constituted a large part of my many creative outlets. I formed many meaningful relationships through performing arts and it helped me develop socially, emotionally, and beyond. I started leading the band at my church in high school, which I still do regularly and thoroughly enjoy. I lead from the keyboard and sing and organize the band and setlist with the help of my mother. 

Like most people, musical or not, I listen to music every day. However, unlike most people, I spontaneously break out into song and dance, and I am genuinely trying to figure out if it is acceptable in public spaces. I also love to express myself by writing songs, even though I’ve never played my songs publicly. This could be due to the combination of my songs being deeply personal, and music production being an entirely uncharted territory, but it is likely because I am a recovering perfectionist who struggles to finish projects. Because of this, I crave constructive criticism. 

This is an area that I wish to continue working on, but in the meantime, I will be learning to play the guitar for a music and education class. I currently am learning the chords in the keys of G and D, and working on my technique so that I learn correctly. I am also practicing playing while singing, which is something I would like to be able to do. I am glad to say that I am enjoying myself, and the learning is going well so far. I hope you will join me on this journey on because I look forward to sharing it with you.

Kiya