Wow, there are only two weeks left until the end of my first semester at Belmont. Time has really flown by these last couple of months. The transition from high school to college was difficult at times, but definitely worth it. I have had some amazing teachers here. Their courses were very challenging yet I learned a lot from them. I have also been improving on the saxophone and piano while I have been here. My saxophone teacher, Rashaan Barber has truly helped me improve my saxophone technique and tone quality. He is really knowledgeable about the sax and he has pushed me to be the best musician I can possibly be. Daniel Landes, my piano teacher, has helped me to not only improve my piano proficiency, but he has also made me a better musician overall by having me practice phrasing, improvisation, and harmonization.
Another person that has been influential to me has been Dr. Barry Kraus, Belmont's Wind Ensemble director. He consistently challenges the ensemble by giving us difficult literature and expecting us to perform at the top of our capabilities. Being his first year at Belmont, he is doing a successful job in improving the wind ensemble. One of the reasons I look up to him is because I hope to someday become a college band director. Dr. Kraus has proven to have the qualities of a great director.

Overall, these last couple of weeks of school are going to be really busy. Not only do I have to worry about finals, but I still have projects, papers, and saxophone juries coming up next week. I am also switching my housing arrangements for next semester by moving into Pembroke Hall. There is a lot of stuff that I am going to have to move from my current room to my new dorm, but I know my friends will be willing to help me make this transition. Although I am going to be busy these next several weeks, I am looking forward to having almost a month off for Christmas Break.