A Keyboard in my Crib Anonymous

(Note: This was for an undergraduate transfer application.)

My musical journey began innocently enough, in my infancy, with a toy keyboard placed in my crib as a diversion. Though I would not begin formal instruction on an instrument for several more years, this simple gift from my grandmother was enough to pique my interest in all things musical. By the age of four, I was begging for piano lessons; at five, I finally received them. My first recital performance, featuring one of my own compositions, came at the age of six, and the experience of premiering my own work (albeit a very short work) was unforgettable. I knew at that point that my future career would involve music—though the specific area I would pursue within that field would not be determined for a dozen more years.

It was at the University of Michigan, at the start of my undergraduate career, that I found music theory as the ideal expression of my talents in composition, teaching, and writing. I began tutoring other students during my sophomore year, after the first-year professors noted that some of their students could benefit from extra study. I soon found myself tutoring up to ten students per semester—from first-year students to doctoral candidates preparing...