Assignment 19- Clifton Grady

One of the best pieces of advice in my life came in the form of what I took to be an offensive insult at the time. It was freshman year and I was clearly the runt of the litter as far as trumpet players were concerned—I was godawful. Despite this, I aspired to be really good, particularly at jazz. So one day, I asked my jazz band director what I needed to do to get better at jazz, and he told me “first, I think you need to get better at your instrument.” It was harsh, I felt discouraged, and eventually that turned into motivation. I practiced, and practiced, and practiced some more. That summer I did almost nothing but play my trumpet. I came back better than I ever thought I would be, and I even got into our school’s top jazz band as a sophomore. Fast-forward to no and that same kid who just wanted to learn how to play jazz is lead trumpet in the all-state jazz ensemble as well as principal trumpet in the all-district symphonic band. What I learned from all of this was a lesson that is applicable to all facets of my life—start with the fundamentals. I am very much a person who likes to delve right in and throw caution to the wind doing whatever impulsive creativity and a racing curiosity drive me to. Learning to appreciate slowing down to learn the fundamentals has equipped me with a new patience, as well as a new understanding of how I can master any craft I set my sights on.