U21

I also struggle with anxiety. After the first year at Welch, I knew music was not my path because of my huge fear of being judged. I seriously struggled just singing or playing piano in front of the teachers during juries because of this. I could do it just fine in my practice sessions but as soon as I got in front of people, I froze or got light headed and went blank. But, it’s what I thought everyone wanted for me and I had to impress them. So, I came back and each year until I quit in my second senior year because I got so far away from myself and had extreme depression. I finally realized that going down this path and putting on a front was not healthy for me. It was scary not knowing what I was going to do, but I felt relief and I could breathe again. I re-evaluated my life and relationships with God and other people and noticed I was putting too much pressure on myself to do what was expected of me.