Sam is a senior at Little Miami High School. He wants to be a music teacher and is a full of passion for the arts. We shot his senior session at my new Ohio favorite, historic downtown Loveland. From rod iron stairs and backlit balcony at Bishop’s Quarter, through trees and sunlight and reflecting down by the river, to browsing colorful aisles of vinyl at Plaid Room Records, photographing Sam felt like photographing a friend.

I’m not sure what made me like him more…his reference to one of my most favorite poets, Mary Oliver, or the Fleet Foxes Shores album he thoughtfully brought from home…

Congratulations on making it this far Sam, I hope you have a harmoniously mellifluous senior year!

One word to describe myself is passionate.

When I care deeply for something, I give it everything I have, and I believe that’s a good thing.

I would imagine that most people don’t know that I was adopted by my parents from Guatemala.

While I haven’t been back there since I was less than a year old, I would like to see the country now as an adult and discover the culture of my birthplace.

My favorite quality about myself is that I have a detail-oriented mind.

It allows me to appreciate the world at deeper levels and continue to be successful in every aspect of my life.

My least favorite quality is my procrastination, hands down.

Someday, it’ll be the death of me, I swear.

In terms of extra-curricular activities, I am in the Little Miami Marching Panther Band, Little Miami Select Choirs, and I have also been cast in numerous school and local theatre productions.

In my free time, I like to listen to all kinds of music, play my favorite video games, and watch movies.

My favorite music would have to be rock and metal from the 1970s and 1980s, although I’ve found myself listening to music of every sort over the years.

One of my favorite things to do is exchange song recommendations with friends to explore new sounds or styles.

I’ve learned lately how special my future career is going to be.

While being a music teacher means I’ll have to face the struggles every teacher does, seeing someone try playing or singing for the first time and really love it is a treasured moment.

Music teachers have the ability to give people a lifetime of inspiration and I have yet to find a career more special than that.

My choir director Mrs. Baker is someone I look up to.

She models good leadership and inspires her students to share their voices with the world through her choirs. The most amazing thing about her is her ability to make connections with just about anyone and unite people with music.

Teaching music should be approached more like a language than a class.

Allowing students to develop their skills naturally while playing with experienced musicians keeps the spark of inspiration in tact and makes them want to practice without turning it into a chore.

Viewing music education through this unique lens has made me excited to find my own way of inspiring the world’s next musicians and also continue to learn and grow personally.

After graduation, I intend on attending Wright State University and pursue a bachelor’s degree in Music Education.

In ten years, I see myself living and breathing music, in and out of work.

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