I cannot speak highly enough about the terrific experiences the Dallas Winds has provided me in my development as a musician!
Listening to daily performances by faculty and Dallas Winds musicians allowed me to see the full potential of what I could achieve if I worked hard. I thought that "maybe if I keep practicing a lot, I can one day be like this guy on stage!"
Once I was introduced to the amazing sounds that the tuba produces in the hands of a professional, my appreciation for my instrument grew tenfold. The master classes taught by tuba experts made me aware that my instrument is as "cool" as any other instrument. I vividly remember walking into my first Dallas Winds Band Camp as a seventh grader, completely unaware of what awaited me. I had never attended a music camp.
That week ended up being the most fun I'd ever had playing music.
As a first generation Hispanic student from Mexico, I often heard others say that finishing high school was the most that people like me could hope to achieve, and that I would be lucky to perhaps attend a community college. I was blessed to receive a full scholarship to attend TCU. Thanks to my wonderful parents, great teachers, and excellent instructors in the Dallas Winds, I was able to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.
Four years later, I am graduating from TCU "magna cum laude" and will be attending the Cincinnati College-‐Conservatory of Music to pursue a Master's Degree in the fall semester of 2016!
For me, camp was simply a new place to have fun. But now, as a professional musician and private teacher, I realize someone is always soaking in everything I do, so I have the opportunity to have a positive influence on those who once were in my shoes.
I can sincerely say that attending the Dallas Winds Camp made a very strong impression on me and inspired me for the better.
Authored by: Juan E. Alonso