I started on trumpet—bright tone, straight lines, the joy of playing with friends. A year in, my band director heard something in my sound and asked me to try the French horn. It was a leap for my age: different embouchure, hand position, transposition, and a range that demanded patience.

I stayed with it. Long tones, lip slurs, scales in every key; quiet hours working intonation and blend so the section could breathe as one. Rehearsal by rehearsal, the instrument stopped fighting back and started to sing.

The work opened doors: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, concerts and festivals, and in 2024 a seat as 5th chair in All-District. Summer brought the UNCG music camp—more ensemble time, better ears, new friends.

None of this feels like a solo story. I’m grateful for directors who believed early, sections that carried me, and audiences who listened. I’m still learning to tune to the room, serve the piece, and let the horn’s warmth sit right in the middle of the sound.