It was in fall of 2005 when I stumbled upon a path that would change my life forever. Young and fresh out of high school I enrolled at MATC with little to no direction in my life. I signed up for mostly general classes focused towards an associate’s degree in the health field, following advice my grandfather had suggested. Since I have had diabetes since the age of 6, I figured this was the right choice for me. Besides these general classes, I signed up for a few elective classes, all mostly in the music department, since music had always been an exciting extracurricular activity I had always enjoyed. Besides, you know what they say about all work and no play? I figured a few classes I really enjoyed would keep me attending school and, more importantly, not become overwhelmed by the stress of science classes needed for a degree in health care, a subject I neither enjoyed nor thrived in. Although, at this point I had very little formal music training and my sight reading skills were ill to none. But that’s ok, these classes were just for fun and nothing would ever come of them. Little did I know how life changing this would become, and how a whole career could arise from these classes.
Fun, yes. Easy, well, let’s just say I never worked so hard in my life. The fact I had no previous training sure did make things a lot harder for me. But that was just it. The MATC Music department started at the basics and went up from there, taking every individual student and assessing them at their own skill levels, challenging each one, while supporting and motivating them to grow into not only a better musician, but a better person. And that’s just it, motivation. The community of hard working, dream aspiring musicians, along with the dedicated and extremely talented professors provided an atmosphere that anyone can become attached to. I looked forward to going to school every morning. Showing up bright and early when the doors to the practice rooms opened and often staying until the last class of the afternoon let out, I found myself working harder then I could ever imagine just because of the positive atmosphere around me. Every day I felt as if I had learned something great and left with a wonderful feeling about what I was doing with my life. The teachers really cared about my success and it seemed like there was always someone there to help and give me guidance. I don’t think I realized it until after I graduated, but I was building relationships and learning skills that would stay with me far longer than just my time in school. These friendships and skills paved the way for my future and made me largely the person I am today.
By the time I left MATC in 2008 I had the self esteem and knowledge needed to succeed as a working musician in the real world. No longer were the walls of the schools needed as a security blanket, but instead I knew it was time for all my hard work to pay off. I now have the skills to go out and find work. I am playing with several groups in the Milwaukee area and teaching students from time to time making a decent living. I plan to return to school and get a bachelors degree, but this time around I know that because of MATC Music I will have a steady foundation to build off of. Although I have a long way to go, I consider myself successful. Success is how you look at it. Thanks to MATC Music I have built a life for myself I really love and enjoy. Every day brings a new challenge but I feel as though I am prepared to take on whatever challenges life as a musician has to offer me.
