Best Advice
Melissa Ferreira
March 13, 1997
The words “I can’t” became a habit for me to say. I repeated those words so often
I started to believe in them. It did not come to my attention until a saxophone sectional during
Jazz. I idolized a senior named Vince Paikowski, he was a great musician and leader. He asked me to play a section on a selected piece by myself, I looked at my music and realized it was a phrase that I struggled with, I looked at him and said, “I can’t play that.” He asked why I couldn’t and I replied, “because it is challenging.” He sighed and told me these selected words that our band has now caught on, “If you say you can’t, you can’t.” His words struck through me for the longest time. I came to an understanding that whenever I said, “I can’t” was because I did not believe in myself, I did not have motivation, I was not trying my best and working at the capability I could have. Vince’s advice was my motivation to attempt and succeed to anything I thought of I was not capable of doing. It was not until recently when I volunteered at a beginners band camp that those words had a big impact. There was a boy who struggled blowing a note on his horn, I took him aside and helped him individually. At the instance I closed the door he began to tear and I knew he was disappointed at himself. When the time of learning half notes came along he said the words, “I can’t” in that instant I quoted Vince. In that moment forward I saw the difference of the boy who struggled and the boy who tried. He never needed my help for the remaining of the band camp.
March 13, 1997
The words “I can’t” became a habit for me to say. I repeated those words so often
I started to believe in them. It did not come to my attention until a saxophone sectional during
Jazz. I idolized a senior named Vince Paikowski, he was a great musician and leader. He asked me to play a section on a selected piece by myself, I looked at my music and realized it was a phrase that I struggled with, I looked at him and said, “I can’t play that.” He asked why I couldn’t and I replied, “because it is challenging.” He sighed and told me these selected words that our band has now caught on, “If you say you can’t, you can’t.” His words struck through me for the longest time. I came to an understanding that whenever I said, “I can’t” was because I did not believe in myself, I did not have motivation, I was not trying my best and working at the capability I could have. Vince’s advice was my motivation to attempt and succeed to anything I thought of I was not capable of doing. It was not until recently when I volunteered at a beginners band camp that those words had a big impact. There was a boy who struggled blowing a note on his horn, I took him aside and helped him individually. At the instance I closed the door he began to tear and I knew he was disappointed at himself. When the time of learning half notes came along he said the words, “I can’t” in that instant I quoted Vince. In that moment forward I saw the difference of the boy who struggled and the boy who tried. He never needed my help for the remaining of the band camp.