My clarinet has always been one of my favorite things. Whenever I feel stressed or need to take my mind off something difficult, I can always rely on my instrument to help me sort out my thoughts. The careful scales, the way my fingers line up with the keyholes and buttons; music has become a meditative way to bring balance into my life. One of the greatest things is that I don’t need sheet music or a group, as I can just sit down with the right goal and just make all these wonderful improvements by listening. Learning to make beautiful sounds that people want to hear keeps pushing me. I would be lying if I said that learning an instrument hasn’t been hard, but whenever it gets difficult, I remind myself of where I’ve started and how far I’ve come and that there’s always more ways to improve. Sometimes setting it aside for a few days becomes necessary, but I always come back with a fresh outlook, and I become ready to learn again. I forget how pretty the marbled wood is, or the shine on the silver keys. I just need to remind myself that there’s no pressure here and that I’ll make it as far as I can one day at a time.