(1/2) “Very early on, I developed a love for music. I grew up in a difficult home environment but always felt safe when practicing at the keyboard. Music was a creative outlet for me to express things I was too afraid to say in words. I completed an Associate’s in Piano Performance shortly before I completed a B.S. in Zoology. After graduation, I found employment in administrative roles. I had financial security but something felt missing. In school, I’d pass by the music building every day and think about what it would be like to study music. I decided to resign from my job, gather my savings, and go on a solo trip to Vienna. I came back from the trip with the decision that I’d apply to music school. I took a year to prepare for auditions and graduated with a B. Mus. in music composition in Toronto four years later. I then moved to Victoria to pursue my master's. I experienced imposter syndrome and had a rough first semester being far from home; I wanted to give up and not come back ...