"So what's it like to be on the Honor Roll, play two instruments and run varsity cross country?" I looked sort of dumbstruck at the man who had just asked me this odd question. After all, I had just come home from band and cross-country practice, I would soon be leaving for work and it was only noon, and three weeks before school started.
He must have sensed my bewilderment because he continued, "I only wondered how you handled your schedule and still excelled at your activities. Most people don't become athletes and musicians because they are two very time consuming activities." With that, I gave him sort of a "half-baked" answer on how I had grown accustomed to the challenging workload, and then walked off. However, his question really got me thinking, 'Do people actually think that?'
I began playing the piano in first grade, after becoming intrigued by my older sister's newfound talent. Actually, both of my parents played the piano while growing up, so it naturally came to be that my two sisters and I would also play as well. Hence, from the start of my education, I was raised in a fairly musical environment. Then, in sixth grade, I was ready for another musical challenge. I signed up for band at school and decided to play the French horn - an instrument my teacher said was the most difficult to learn. I suppose my musical background contributed to my success, but within a short time, I mastered the multitude of fingerings (shocking my teacher), and continued fine-tuning my skills, all without private instruction.
