HS Symphony Orchestra- Reflection

Last year I was part of the HS Jazz Band and was provided with the opportunity to perform at the wavelengths concert and even the esplanade, however, we were not able to perform at the Esplanade due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some of my strengths that I felt were prominent while taking part in HS Jazz Band was my ability to collaborate and communicate with other students, for instance, we had to make sure that all the flute players were playing in time as everyone was given different music sheets that sounded peculiar individually, but in harmony when played all together in synch. Therefore, I was able to communicate with different individuals, not only for my own benefit in obtaining new skills but for the whole band. This year, I decided to take part in the HS Symphony Orchestra as I wanted to delve into different genres of music and build stronger relationships with different individuals, along with improving my flute playing skills.

Due to the current COVID-19 regulation, there is only a maximum of five woodwind instruments allowed in one room, therefore I haven’t been able to directly participate with everyone else at Orchestra; however, I was able to take time out after school to practice the piece that I was given which is ‘Cool’ from the musical ‘West Side Story’. As an individual with strong time management skills and is tenacious, I have been able to set a time after school on Friday’s from 3-4 pm to practice for Orchestra, so that I’m not only able to improve my flute skills, but also improve my time management skills and increase my motivation to practice. Although I do enjoy playing the flute, I found it quite challenging to find adequate time out of my day to purely focus on the flute for an hour straight, as I have other assignments and tasks going on, this hasn’t only restricted the free time that I have, but also decreased my motivation to concentrate on one particular task when given time to myself. In order to surmount this challenge, I have been setting goals for myself every week, in order to track my process and make sure that I am motivated to practice.