“I know I still have much more room to grow and that mindset is what drives me to continue playing the clarinet.”

Yiming Jia: “I first started playing the clarinet in 5th grade and have continuously been playing it for about six years. When I was in elementary school all my friends were in band so I wanted to join. My mom thought that the clarinet was the ideal instrument for me because it seemed easy to play and required less lung capacity than the others. After a while, I became extremely immersed in playing the clarinet as my intonation improved and I was able to play more difficult pieces of music.

Throughout the six years that I have been a musician, I have attended multiple regional and state honor bands as well as participated in many local ensembles such as the Diablo Wind Symphony.

I think that my progression as a musician was very quick, especially during high school as I’ve been able to play more difficult music. However, I know I still have much more room to grow and that mindset is what drives me to continue playing the clarinet.”