The written word. The spoken word. The loudly screamed word.

I am a communicator and storyteller, yet I still haven't mastered the art of describing myself in a few brief words. I guess it's a good thing I signed up for this class.

First and foremost, I want to be a musician. However, I want to be immersed in the world of music no matter what career path I take, hence my interest in music/entertainment journalism. Both fields have a surprisingly symbiotic relationship. The connections, networking requirements and highly flexible lifestyles and work hours are largely the same. In both professions, hard work, dedication to craft and a positive attitude go a long way.

I sing and play guitar in The Last Remark. We strive to inject a little life into what is currently a bland, highly derivative heavy metal scene. Even though my band mates still live in my home state of Pennsylvania, there's never a lack of communication or activity among us thanks to the vast array of social media and technology options.

School is the band's off-season, during which I cover music for Orange Magazine. I've found an incredible joy and peace in taking a step back from actively pursuing music and instead covering a brand-new climate from a journalistic perspective. Moving to the Live Music Capital of the World was a no-brainer, and being contacted by artists who actually want to do interviews with me is a welcome change! I might not be performing, but I'm still exploring this endless musical landscape with the same fervor as when I take the stage at home.

I don't know which path is for me yet. And at 18 years old, I think that's okay. One thing is for certain: there is no greater joy than expressing my own ideas and touching people's lives positively with them. Be it a hard-working Austin band that appreciates my favorable review or a fan singing along to our songs in the front row, the goal is all the same: as long as I can make people happy, all the hard work is more than worth it.