The Making of a Musician

There are many things that musicians go through to reach the professional level that non-musicians never see. The practice rooms, the late night rehearsals, the nerves backstage before a performance. I followed members from the Northern Arizona University jazz bands and percussion ensemble during their group rehearsals, solo practice times, classes, and performances to see what these students go through to build their skills as musicians. My goal was to capture how intricate and personal the process of becoming a musician is. An extreme amount of dedication and passion is required to pursue this art form as a career.

Part of creating a photo documentary meant I got to become a part of the process. As I spent time in the School of Music more often, students acclimated to my presence and I was able to capture more authentic moments of them. I also enjoyed challenging myself to capture something normally experienced through sound in still images instead. Each photo represents a different part of the process and the many emotions musicians feel throughout. There is also a visual contrast between what the audience sees on stage versus what goes on in the preparation stages.