Ever since I was a little kid, I have enjoyed nothing more than listening to music. Since I grew up listening to bands ranging from ACDC to The Beatles, I have become a diverse lover of all music genres.
Because of this love for music, I jumped at the chance to play a musical instrument when the opportunity arose at Riverview Elementary in 5th grade. The question was which one to choose from. However, I knew instantly the instrument I wanted to play.
I have always loved the popular Fox show, The Simpsons. So when my elementary band teacher John Hackney asked me what instrument I wanted to play, I immediately told him the saxophone because one of the characters, Lisa Simpson, plays the sax on the show. Because he believed it to be a much easier instrument to play, Hackney urged me to play the clarinet, rather then the saxophone.
However, I refused because of my overwhelming urge to play a saxophone. My persistence paid off as I began playing the sax later that year.
The next year, I transferred to Mountain View Christian School. This school lacked a sufficient music program to accommodate me, so my mother and I searched around the city for a better option. We found Fresno Christian School (FCS), which had a profuse program under the direction of Paul McEntee.
When I arrived at FCS, I learned about music in ways I never thought were possible. Not only did I learn about the music, but I also learned about how music can affect one’s relationships.
Through band, I became closer with friends and with God. Some days in band, we would pray before we played, something I had never experienced when going to a public school.
I soon learned winning festivals and harmonious sounds were not really the main focus, God was. If the band lost to 50 other schools, it didn’t matter. As long as a smile appeared on our faces and we showed Christian attitudes towards every person we encountered, all was good.
This routine continued until the end of the year when McEntee announced he would be leaving the school. Since then, the campus band program has received three other band directors: Chris Rice, James Loomis and Michael Ogdon. From each of these teachers, I have learned different styles of music and different ways to play, for each person was unique.
As my freshman year began, I felt that nobody was more excited for high school jazz band than me. Two of my fellow classmates, Dana King and Harrison McComb, took the high school class their 8th grade year and I was itching to play a new selection of music with them.
With this anticipation for music came dedication. Most students don’t spend 11 hours at school on a given day. However, this becomes a daily routine for some band members.
Last year, whenever needed, I came to school at 7 a.m. for jazz band and stayed until 7 p.m. for marching band practice. This is how music became more than just a love for me, it became a dominating factor in my life.
When Loomis took the band to a festival in Reedley during my freshman year, the mood was less than positive. Nobody expected to do well; it was our first festival of the year. Before we went on stage, Loomis told the group we were going to pray.
In this prayer, Loomis basically said the band would do our best and honor God no matter what rank we received. At the end of the festival, we received superior, the best score possible.
After this festival, I realized how often music affects my daily life. I discovered that as I partook in more than one music class daily, and then came home to listen to it while doing homework, it literally took over my life. I started belting out songs in hallways and classes and even listened to my iPod in class, whenever a teacher allowed it.
Up until about a year ago, I’ve suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. With two honors classes and a blazing desire to acquire a GPA over a 4.0, these issues became more of a problem than ever before.
A week before the first quarter ended, the freshman class owed our English teacher, Greg Stobbe, the first part of a year-long autobiography project.
In an attempt to be thorough, I was up at 1 a.m. the day before the due date trying to make the project as first-rate as possible. Taking a break, I turned on iTunes and discovered it calmed the nerves that plagued me. Ever since then, I have used iTunes to ease my anxiety from frustrations in school and life.
My pastor from Clovis Christian Church, Cameron Unruh, once said, “Music affects your life in many ways. It can make you happy or sad depending on what you’re listening to.”
As I go through life, now as a sophomore, I find music one of the main aspects of my life. I play in both the jazz band and concert band and still adore music. Now, more than ever, music helps me control and balance the stress in my life, as well as affecting my spiritual and personal relationships.
Andrew Evans • Nov 24, 2010 at 12:01 am
Thank you so much, Val, for all of your hard work on the field. This means a lot to all of the football players, and we look forward to seeing you more as the season begins.
Lori Mascarenas • Nov 24, 2010 at 12:01 am
Good to see you around campus again, Val!