The Hardest Part

As a closeted kid growing up in a conservative town in Alabama, I would write pieces for myself to escape from the adversity I faced, almost as hidden diary entries. I wrote The Hardest Part right after getting accepted to DePaul University for classical saxophone performance in Chicago. With the joy of knowing that I could fully be myself and pursue my dreams in a few short months, the hardest part would be to last until then. Looking back, writing pieces like this helped hone my technique, curiosity, and creativity. Now, as an openly gay classical musician,  I can look back with the joy of knowing that I actually became a professional musician, and that my childhood dreams became realized, and found respit engraving this in 2021.  

This piece won the People's Choice Award at the National Saxophone Museum's Creative Expression Prize in 2021