College Application Essay, what a challenge!

[Sean]

The supplemental application that SUNY requires me to fill out includes an essay, to which various topics are given, including an option to choose your own. I chose that one, and wrote about the only subject I thought I could truly and fully elaborate on. Unfortunately, I was limited to only 500 words, so I had to be brief (came in just shy of 500, at 495), and honestly, I would have liked to write 500 more. So much more to be said...alas, here it is. (move to the writing forum if you think it fits there)
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Singing in a choir, or more specifically my school’s “honors” choir, the Hamburg High School Concert Chorale is an honor that I have enjoyed for 3 years now, and one that I shall be sad to give up at the end of this year. Many people may believe that singing in a choir is an activity reserved for young children, and elderly ladies with mile wide vibrato and bingo wings, a simple hobby. However, I have found it to be something more than that; an experience that liberates both my body and my mind from the troubles and strife of everyday life.

The HHS Concert Chorale is a group of fantastic singers (and genuinely good human beings in general), lead by a man with so much insight into not only music, but the human condition as well. I’d have to say that (insert choir director here) is easily the most influential person in my life. Over the past 4 years, he has motivated me to try and reach a level of achievement that is a step above average, in music, and in every other endeavor I undertake. His philosophy of never accepting less than your best has become my own, and having seen some classmates dig themselves into an academic hole by settling for less than their best effort, I’m glad that I adopted it early on in my high school career.

Aside from the new life philosophy, I’ve also gained a greater understanding of music, and a greater appreciation for it. Before I became a member of the Concert Chorale, I enjoyed performing music, and I enjoyed listening to it. However, I thought that was as far as I could go with music. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that music could touch the deepest depths of my being. Performing with that group is a unique experience, to say the least. I think of each concert as a big jigsaw puzzle, with each aspect of preparation masquerading as a piece of the puzzle. There’s learning the music, a process which takes months, and is often dull and repetitive. Then there’s augmenting the music with little nuances like dynamics, and diction that turn a series of notes and rhythms into a beautiful, emotional melody capable of moving one to tears. Lastly, and most importantly, there’s the human element. If everyone in the group doesn’t pour one hundred percent of themselves (both mentally and physically) into the music, then there’s no meaning behind the performance. It’s just a series of notes and rhythms, beautiful and precise notes and rhythms at that, but they don’t do the music nor the composer that put a piece of his or herself into that music any justice. It is only when all three of these three components combine, I have learned, that true music can be made. And while listening to such music is an amazing experience, creating such beauty is an even more amazing, and unforgettable experience.

[RJDiogenes]

Very nice. Mr Zogaib is a lucky guy to be able to have such a positive influence on people.

I love the description of the musical performance as a jigsaw puzzle, especially the part about augmenting the learned notes with various nuances to bring it to life. It gives real insight to somebody like me, who has no technical knowledge of music, about why music is so affecting.

I'll move this over to the non-fiction forum when I create it.