Minnesota Varsity: Austin Engelhardt

Instrument: Horn

Hometown: Two Harbors, Minn.

Piece: Camille Saint-Saëns — Morceau de concert

Why do you love to perform?

I have always had a passion for music, although I often did not know why. After finally starting violin lessons through the Austin, Texas, Suzuki program at the age of four and one-half, my passion for the violin quickly grew. I loved to share my gift of music with as many people as I could, and brought many of my family and friends joy doing so.

Driven by my passion for music, I availed myself of every opportunity I could to share that passion with an even greater audience. My musical world transformed from performing solely for my stuffed animals to performing dozens of times each semester. At the age of eight, I began classical guitar lessons and joined the Austin Youth Orchestras Program. At the age of eleven, I added horn lessons and band to my musical commitments. After continuing to expand my musical world at this rate, I was soon spending an immense amount of time with music.

Realizing this, I ask myself why music is important to me. What could possibly make spending countless hours practicing worth it? Then I remember not only my passion for bringing music to others and the profound change in those people when I do so, but also how music connects people, even those with compromised communication skills. Before the performance, many people in the audience, especially nursing home residents, feel confused, imprisoned, disabled, and sick with no one left to love them. Throughout the music, that changes to feeling glad, being able to forget their current suffering, and remembering the joyous days of their youth. It means so much to me to be able to play for those people, see that change, and see one of them with tears in their eyes come to me and say, "Thank you."