The soloist final

To acknowledge a sickness, especially as severe as Nathaniel's, takes a lot of courage. What differentiates a person with courage from a who acts on that courage determines a leader. Nathaniel has acknowledge his sickness and instead of dwelling on it, he decides, after obtaining help, to become a music therapist. One can argue that a person who needs help can't help anyone else. How this may be true in most cases, I dare to say that this a special one. For someone who has made the advancements in life as Nathaniel and benefits from the "therapy" of music, his music, that would not apply. Nathaniel is one of thousands of people that have realized that there are therapeutic remedies in music.

As a result to reading this story, it has occurred to me that Lopez is not the only hero and leader in this story. Nathaniel can be acknowledged as a hero in his own right as well in the rights of others. Nathaniel did not have the means by which he could provide opportunities for himself. That was Lopez's job. This among other things is what made Lopez a leader and hero. Nathaniel's claim to heroism and leadership is due to his decisions. As the old saying repeats, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make you can't make it drink it". Lopez opened the doors for Nathaniel but he had to choose whether to take advantage of it. Like most people, Nathaniel needed persuasion and substantiated reasoning to ultimately decide to take advantage of the opportunities set before him. At the end of the day, when you look back at how far Nathaniel has progressed and acknowledge his ultimate goal for his redefined life, a leader and a hero vaguely describe the person Nathaniel Ayers has become.

This book has opened my vision to the power of music. As a student that has made music a part of life, I have become more appreciative of my ability and opportunities. The story of Nathaniel Ayers has added an extra passion for playing and has provided new inspiration to use music as a form of public diplomacy.

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