Maddy


College Internship Artists™

Wittenberg University

got a scholarship to study classical music in Vienna

Palais Corbelli

 

 

Dare to dream. And if you are really berserk, dare to pursue.

The average person can dream, but not many pursue them successfully. Be the one to stand out, be different, because why not?! You are on this Earth for a reason, might as well be influential. So much talent and many great, innovative ideas in the world go to waste because people, including myself, lack the drive, discipline, focus, patience, and support to keep going.

Dream number one:
My name is Madelyn Johnson, and I am currently in Vienna, Austria. How did I get here you might ask? I planned, pursued, and wanted this. I found out exactly what I needed to do in order to be here during this semester and made sure it was completed. All of the paperwork, the coordinating, the documents that needed to be certified, the deadlines that had to be made- everything. So many tasks had to be fulfilled in order for me to be here, but with my persistence, and my beautiful mother on my side, we made my dream become a reality. She’s all I had, but she’s all I needed. With my passion, I strived for this dream to happen, and it’s happening.

Dream number two:
Heart pounding, head throbbing, knees shaking, and completely lacking composition as I waited for the announcer to reveal my name to the crowd. When this finally happened I nervously made my way on stage. Feeling as though my heart could pop out of my chest at any given moment, when the music started, not feeling confident on what sounds may come out of my mouth, I began to sing. The first phrase sung released all of the nervous energy I once possessed and turned into power and liveliness. At that moment I owned that stage, and no one could tell me anything different. All eyes were on me, and everyone was memorized by my stage presence. I never wanted that moment to end and when it did I knew I had to get it back, now resulting in my current pursue in a music degree.

Find something that makes you smile just thinking about it. Pursue something that brings you ecstasy. Indulge in an occupation that you can become obsessed about. For us, this path is music– it’s what we long for. Being a musician isn’t easy, matter of fact, it may be one of the hardest careers out there! With that being said, there will be days you want to quit, and you ask yourself “why am I putting myself through this?” Or “what is all of this even for?” Those will be the days when the logical and rationale side of you try to take over. In this instance, don’t let it! No one ever accomplished their dream being logical. Your brain wants you to take the safe route, and offer you this false sense of security, but your heart is really what you should depend on to push you through when you feel like all the effort and time you’ve put in may not be worth it. We all have our different scenarios, bad days, and sometimes not the best people in our lives, but ultimately, how far you get in life is entirely up to you. “Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try.” I try to tell remind myself of this as often as I can, and try to live my life by this. So, how bad do you want success and happiness, and how far are you willing to push yourself to get it? We all have to work in this life, why not make it enjoyable? Do not look back in your life with any regrets, or the horrifying phrase of “What If.” We will all get there one day soon, I assure you, keep pushing.