Pursuing Your Passion
I started taking piano lessons when I was 8 years old. It was really just a hobby of mine and my main focus was getting good grades in school. I went to a high school where almost all of the students went into sciences. I was very involved in music during these years. I played trumpet in 3 bands, played in the pit orchestra for a musical, was the President of the Music Council, and taught piano. Although it was very busy, these were my favourite times of the day and I dreaded being in class to learn about math or English.
I knew that music made me the happiest but I still thought that I would go to university to be a science student. It wasn’t until the beginning of my grade 12 year when I really thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Sure, science was probably a safer route and I knew I could easily get a job. However, I was spending so much time with music and it was what I truly enjoyed. I knew that I could never become a concert pianist because I lacked a lot of skill and didn’t practice enough. Being a music teacher was perfect for me because I loved being able to share my love for music and help others understand on how to improve their playing. I applied to get into the Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education with a minor in Chemistry.
I am now a second year Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education student at the University of Alberta with a minor in French. I realized that university chemistry was much different than high school chemistry and changed my minor to French because it is okay to change your mind sometimes. Although people may think it is a very competitive environment, I have only had good experiences with being a music student. It may be intimidating to study with people who are so talented in their instrument but they are the nicest people I have met. Since music is what I am passionate about, I enjoy taking the time to practice singing solfège for a performance test or listening and studying scores for my music history class. It also inspires me to see these students for such long periods of time at school; it isn’t uncommon to be at school for 12 hours a day. I’m absolutely exhausted some days but it’s worth it to be spending my time doing something I love.
I still feel like I’m dreaming to be able to be in a program that makes me so happy. I’m also the luckiest person in the world to have friends and family who have supported me with my interest in music. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my dad who always drove me to rehearsals, my mom who would always listen to me practicing, or my sister who shares my love for music. I am so grateful for their unconditional support.
Klarrenz is currently a Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education student at the University of Alberta who plays the piano and the trumpet. She looks forward to becoming a music teacher and would like to teach at universities in the future. Besides music, she also likes to watch movies and spend time with her family, friends, and wonderful boyfriend. To describe her in a few words: determined, funny, kind, sarcastic, and unsurprisingly, musical.