<div>Hello, and thank you for taking the time to come here, my name is Jaime Torres. I am a junior, rising senior, of the class 2024, and first and foremost, a student of music.
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<div>There’s a lot of words that could be used to describe this moment in my life, but I stand here finding none that could do so adequately or to my satisfaction; I have reached a new pinnacle, another great crossroad in my life.
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<div>For as long as I could remember, I have dedicated myself to the life long path of music. From my humble roots, learning how to hit blocks together to make funny noises into songs that only children could comprehend, to my first steps playing on a community piano in Belgium, to joining  the marching band and meeting some of the greatest people I ever will, I have always felt a love towards and from music. 
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<div>Music encapsulates you, wraps you in the deepest and most intimate emotions of the player, and touches your soul in ways that cannot be described or imagined without it. It brings us together, forges friendship and creates family, and  even helps us find love; as it did for me. 
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<div>Growing up as an Army brat, with my father serving two tours in Afghanistan as a doctor and my mother trying her best to work as a single mother taking care of me and my younger brother, music carried me through it all. It helped keep me grounded, when I was moving all over the world— never staying still for even a moment. It taught me lessons, about who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do with my life. It helped me grow as a person, into who I am today. Without music, I have no doubts that I would not be able to stand where I am today. 
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<div>Which, is what brings me here today. My journey with music, has brought me to a new point in my life I could have never imagined. I, and many others, have spent thousands of hours, countless sleepless nights, and at time, every waking moment of the day, into our music this past marching season. I poured my heart and soul and love for music and the people around me, into my playing— and, it paid off. For the first time in history, Lecanto High School made it to the marching band state finals, standing amongst the best from all over the state, with a show that I played a solo for. 
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<div>Because of this, we’ve finally been getting the recognition that comes with the hard work and dedication that we’ve put into it. The blood, sweat, and tears have all been spilt, and now we can sit back to be satisfied with everything that came from it. 
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<div>However, as Sun Tzu once said, “<em>Opportunities multiply, once seized.</em>” Following this new recognition, my band director, Mr. Crane, brought a new opportunity to my band members and I’s attention, and we have grasped onto it without any hesitation or release.
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<div>Apolostolos Lesser, Aidan Bice, and I, have all been selected, after a long and difficult selection and audition process, to join one of the greatest marching bands in the world— <strong><em>Macy’s Great American Marching Band</em></strong>. Drawing in talent from all across the United States, the marching band is the culmination of everything that we have worked towards— the next step in our musical journeys and development, putting us in front of the entire world, to show how far we’ve come. 
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<div>I wish, to proudly and openly represent not just the small town of Inverness and Lecanto, but the community of Citrus County, and the great state of Florida to the entirety of the United States— but it comes with a cost, a high one at that. It is a collective over <strong><em>$6,000</em> </strong>between the three of us, to cover room and board, food, training, and marching uniforms, as we stay up in New York for the week before the performance in the Thanksgiving Parade, but <em>not</em> including transportation, plane tickets, or any other potential expenditures. Although my family has been highly supportive of me and my musical career, there are limits on what they can do— which is why I wish to raise and work for the money to go to New York, by myself, and potentially with the help of you. 
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<div>Being rising seniors, it is our final year of eligibility, our last chance to seize an opportunity this great, and I’d humbly ask of you, even a small donation of a few dollars to help lessen the burden of this on our families and parents, who have already done so much to help us, and our band, be the best it can be. 
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<div>Thank you, for spending the time to read this all, and for supporting me through this musical journey. I hope to show you the results in New York, this Thanksgiving, 2023. 
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<div><em>***Any money made beyond what is used for the trip will be donated to the </em><strong><em>Lecanto High School music department</em></strong><em>, to help support the growing Marching Band, concert bands, jazz bands, and choirs that have worked so hard, and continue to do so day in and day out. Thank you***</em>
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