Throughout my experiences as a music player and lover, I find that two words have always motivated me: “spirit” and “soul.”

Whether I am playing music or listening to a song, I find that the most impactful pieces are those that resonate with me deep down. Whenever I am listening to one of my favorite songs, or playing one of my favorite compositions, I feel a certain energy that invigorates and inspires me to be a better musician.

I’ve been playing drums since I was five years old, and trombone since I was nine years old. The main reason why I started playing drums at an early age has to do a lot with my spirit. 

I have been finding ways to use the drums, a rhythmic instrument, as a form of self-expression since before I even started to really learn how to play them and combined with the trombone, a melodic wind instrument, I can express two different sides of myself and two parts of my spirit. 

While drums are more expressive and energetic, trombone is more graceful, lyrical, and other times strong and powerful. Because they are so different, the two instruments are able to represent me as a whole. 

In my time playing the two instruments, I have found that I have been able to become a better musician mainly through how I perceive the “feel” of the music. 

This “feel”, or in a broader sense, “spirit” of a piece is what motivates musicians to create and perform their most impactful music, since music is an extension of the spirit and a form of personal expression. 

Spirit feels like a “connection” that I feel  through all kinds of mediums, whether it be faith, art, or literature, but I have always felt this connection most strongly through music. This connection empowers and rejuvenates me, allowing me to feel my emotions more deeply.  

I know a lot of people give up on music because they don’t feel connected to it, but music is inside everyone, whether they know it or not. To those who don’t feel deeply connected to music, it takes just a little bit of exploring to find something that deeply touches their spirit. 

Different genres have different forms of expression, which helps me find ways to express my soul. I find daily meaning through whatever music I’m playing or listening to, and that helps me feel more connected to the world around me and in more tune with the events of my day and of my emotions. 

Whenever I play or listen to my favorite type of music, the kind of music that truly resonates with me, I feel like my spirit is in   harmony and that I can fully enjoy life as it is presented.