I joined PYS as the bass trombonist, purely by luck. My audition was awful, and I was completely unprepared. I possessed very little talent for the instrument, and I was very sheepish with my playing. Keitaro Harada, the new up-and-coming director refused to let me just slip through the cracks and handed me a folder with my music inside of it.
Mr. Harada gave me a once in a life time opportunity. He inspired the desire inside of me to play beautiful music, and even showed me a little tough love from time to time. I listened intently to every word he spoke and every lesson he had to teach. He was witty, humorous and very driven; all traits that slowly manifested in myself.
It was in that season with the PYS that I pulled my boots up and decided that there was nothing else I wanted more in life then to be a music educator. I’m slowly becoming more proficient in my instrument, and have even been award generous scholarship funds by the Mesa Community College to study there.