Pat Corro

A long time before I knew how to make music, all I knew was how to listen— not just to the music, but how it made me feel. Aside from as a form of entertainment, music accompanied me throughout life in many ways. It brought me to places I couldn't visit, it sparked emotions I didn't know were there, it told me stories that proved I was never alone in whatever I was going through. To use a cliché that I think exists for good reason— music saved my life.

So when the time came for me to start thinking about what it is I wanted to do with my life, I needed no second thought. There was nothing that inspired me more than being able to evoke in others what music has always evoked in me. The power of music to do such a thing fascinated me and I wanted nothing more but to learn everything about it— so that's what I did.

The first instrument I really dedicated myself to learning was the guitar. I didn't have the means or the support at the time to take lessons professionally so I taught myself over the course of a few years. Many times, I'd perform for an audience of two— my brother and my dog. Of course, I eventually got the confidence to start performing for larger audiences and realized that performing was what I wanted to keep doing. Later on, I took my knowledge of music from the guitar and started teaching myself some piano and bass before I picked up my next main instrument— the saxophone.

By this time, I had the means and the opportunity to finally get professional lessons. I felt that I had a lot of catching up to do if I were to be successful in a world where most musicians have been playing since diapers. Instead of being discouraged by this, it fueled my drive even further. During my secondary education, I took lessons from two different mentors each with different backgrounds (pop and classical) with the primary goal of getting into a music program for college.

Now, I am proud as ever to say that I am a fourth-year student in the UST Conservatory of Music taking up Bachelor of Music in Performance, Major in Alto Saxophone. With all this behind me and so much ahead of me, I plan to do what I believe I do best and share my music with all of you.