On the Rooftop of the Kennedy Center

It was never my dream to have my music performed at the Kennedy Center. I simply did not believe in dreaming outrageous, impossible dreams. Yet the improbable happened, all the more shocking to me as an immigrant, who once upon a time came to the United States with a flute and a $100 to her name, and who for many years suppressed the idea of pursuing a career in classical music as impractical and financially out of reach.

It wasn’t until my mid-30s that something snapped in me and I felt the urge to continue my education. I began tentatively with private lessons in music composition, but then things quickly spiraled out of control and I got a Bachelor’s degree, and then a Master’s. After graduation, very much out of sync with the trajectory of a traditional music career, I was too old to benefit from many opportunities for “young” composers, but too inexperienced to be counted among the established ones. All I could do was carve my own path.

Now at 50, I stand on the rooftop of the Kennedy Center, not sure how I got there or how it will affect my future. I will try to dream larger from now on, especially since it’s too late to lead a conventional life.

Photo by WG

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