Caraquet trombone player is London-bound

Being accepted into the Royal College of Music, it makes me feel very accomplished, like I've actually did this. I've worked for ten years on the trombone and I finally accomplished something, bigger than a sticker. I just feel very accomplished that I could actually make it into the Royal College of Music and I'm excited to see how much further I can take this, you know? Well I've always loved music, but when I was younger we'd go on a lot of drives, me and my mother, and we'd listen to Ysette Saint-Galbain and lots of opera. So when I got to Sistema for the first week, I was having a lot of fun, I really was. It took, it was the second week that I was having a lot less fun. I think that's when I was selected for the trombone. I kind of cried a lot, a lot, and I kind of tried to get kicked out. But after like kind of getting a little bit better, I think it was when I started getting my scales that I kind of didn't want to quit anymore. What I saw when I went to Sistema was absolutely stunning. There were literally hundreds of kids with instruments in their hand making music that I couldn't believe was coming out of these little people. But Amy's super talent is being a really, really hard worker. So she talks about earning this sticker, and I can tell you, I was there to see the frustration with not getting that sticker. Others were getting it, she was not. And we like to talk about learning curves in terms of being like this beautiful thing that just kind of just keeps getting better and better. But really truthfully, that's not how learning happens. It's boom, boom, fail, not get it, almost, not quite, I got it. Wild Symphony, written by Dan Brown, it was this beautiful book for kids. This project was done and performed in Toronto, I believe, and a representative from the Royal College of Music was there. They wanted some of the New Brunswick Sistema students to audition for their school. So in February, at the beginning of February, we went to Toronto and prepared the audition. My mouth dried up and naturally I couldn't play the trombone anymore. So I had to stop mid-audition and ask for water, which actually was very nerve-wracking because it's the Royal College of Music, you don't do that. I was so disappointed with my performance that I didn't actually think I made it. So they gave me the paper of acceptance, and I just didn't believe them, I guess, and I took it and I looked at them and I'm like, oh, thank you. And I folded it crooked, it was just wrong in all the ways, I don't think you're supposed to fold that. And I didn't have the right reaction, I'm sure they were wondering what was going on in my head, but it's okay, I'm going to explain what was going on in my head when I see them in September. I kept thinking there was an extra beat there, but there was not. It sounds good, it sounds good, it sounds beautiful. Let's get one more. Perfect. Her getting into the Royal College of Music is huge. She's well-prepared for it. But what's amazing is she's setting an example for all the future little Amy's. I want to inspire as many young kids as I can, because this is a rough world and, you know, I feel like everyone should be able to accomplish their dreams in life, you know. When I was younger, I didn't think that I'd accomplish much. So just the fact that I got my scale, I got to join New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and go to Magic Mountain, and now I made it into the Royal College of Music, I feel like I just really hope that I can inspire others to follow their dreams, and that it'll happen as long as you put in the work, you know.