"When I feel despair and hopeless, I look deep inside myself. I realize the vulnerable person inside of me and begin to have doubts if I can start all over again. But even if it is tiny, if I find myself trying to find hope, the feeling of fear changes to a fluttering heart and excitement. That is where I gain my confidence and confidence becomes faith. The faith I have in myself makes who I am today. When you are hopeless, you feel shabby for showing your ugly and vulnerable side. But that is the only moment you can honestly see the true appearance of yourself, and it is the only chance and time you can create the true and genuine you. Thus, do not be afraid of despair. Take it as an opportunity for growth and becoming a better person. Fear is something that stimulates you, but only a small part of you."

"This is a recording of me sight reading the theme from “Schindler’s List.” During quarantine, I watched the movie and was completely moved by it. I also decided to sight read for the recording because it felt more natural. I made it a goal to improve my sight reading skills on piano during quarantine. This piece represents great resilience that was displayed in the movie, and I was able to be resilient during quarantine by using piano as an outlet."

"This is a recording of me playing the tuba in the ninth grade. At the time artistic resilience meant playing through the wrong notes, trying to maintain a consistent sound and style, and analyzing what could be better the next time through. Now I am a senior at University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music and these themes have remained largely unchanged. To produce a better product one must be willing to make mistakes -- bold mistakes. A mistake never found is never fixed. Artistic resilience is making yourself vulnerable in an attempt to create something meaningful. Embrace the discomfort."

"I find resilience through the encouragement and support of my friends and family."

"Just over two years ago, the worst attack on the Jewish population in the United States occurred at a Pittsburgh synagogue. This is not an isolated incident, for antisemitism occurs all over the world. As a Jewish woman, it is difficult for me to witness the attacks made against my own people. However, as a community, we become closer and stronger despite all of the hatred. In this sound clip, there is a shofar playing in the background, for the shofar represents continuity and a hopeful future in Jewish culture. The prayer recited at the end is the Shehecheyanu (שהחינו), which is the expression of gratitude for new experiences and continuation of life."

"As a musician, resilience is a huge part of our field. Regularly, musicians are asked to do unbelievable things to meet demands. Whether this is through the vehicle of our instrument or just in life generally- there are always challenges. Yet, musicians always find a solution. Jenni Watson's Ray is a perfect image of this sentiment. Written above the score of the piece is the following: "A short piece reflecting on the beauty and hope that a ray of sunlight can bring on a dark day." Unfortunately, there are many dark days as a musician- however, by having a glimmer of hope and bravery, the darker days can be less dark. Musicians are resilient people."

"Over the summer I was faced with a scary medical diagnosis and treatment process that was psychologically and emotionally challenging. I turned to music to help get me through that, and this is a collage of some of the types of things I was listening to."

"This is an original piece representing the journey of resilience. The audio begins with the rummaging of a desk, depicting the copious amount of school work that many students struggle with every day. A hollow-sounding drone sits underneath. The piano is in battle with itself harmonically, overcoming adversity as it finds its way to the tonic of F-Major. Once the piano reaches this point of clarity, the sounds underneath it ceases. This represents the feeling of overcoming stress and anxiety as we finally finish our work for the day."

"This is a recording of my high school band playing the piece "Danzon No. 2" by Arturo Marquez. It was my sophomore year of high school and we travelled from Texas to Chicago to perform at the Midwest Clinic. We worked for months on end for this concert and I remember practicing this solo countless times to prepare myself to stand up and play it in front of thousands of people. There were times in rehearsals where I wouldn't play my best and would be disappointed in myself afterwards, but I knew I just needed to work hard and keep practicing. As our Midwest concert finally came I felt my nerves kicking in. But when it was time for my solo, I can remember standing up, taking a deep breathe, and letting go. Not only was I proud of myself after this performance, but this was the moment I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music."

"I sightread the theme from Schindler's List because this movie really moved me. I watched it during quarantine and it opened my eyes to the horrible oppression the Jews faced during the Holocaust. I chose to sightread it because during quarantine, I made it a goal to improve my piano sight reading skills. During this strange time of COVID, it is important to set goals, no matter how small, in order to keep your mind occupied. If you listen closely, you can hear a siren in the distance."

"This dear friend has found beauty in brokenness. Born into drug abuse and raised by her great-grandmother, she is a role model for her widespread, non-traditional family. Alongside her daily resilience to love the unlovable and hope when there is none, she is the first in her family to attend college. She is the definition of resilience, grasping circumstances and turning difficulties into strength."

"This recording of three brass players practicing on top of the Intramural Field parking deck was taken on a Sunday night. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing space has become very limited, and therefore, musicians have had to adapt and find new places and ways to practice. However, the HHSOM community has displayed resilience and strength in finding alternate methods to keep sharing music both within the school and the Athens community at large."

"When I think of resilience I immediately think of nature. Nature is a constant and pure example of how something can be damaged but restored quickly and with purpose. In this sound file you can hear samples of sounds in nature- crunching leaves, crickets, and rainfall. Each of these show a different, yet important part of the cycle of life which is a beautiful example of nature's resilience."

"This is a poem I wrote for The UGA Hodgson Singers in March, after Covid shut down the school of music. Resilience is gratitude in the face of overwhelming sadness, and the hope and faith that we will get to make music in person again."

"This is a piece that I am currently working on this semester, and the audio is from a video of me playing it that I posted on my music Instagram account. Sometimes as performers, it's easy to get in the way of yourself, analyzing yourself and going through everything you do with a fine toothed comb. But sometimes you have to take a step back, remember why you are doing this in the first place, and enjoy the music, because that's when it sounds the best anyway. Not when you are thinking and being analytical in the moment. This was my last take from recording, and it was when I stepped back and enjoyed the music, getting over the barrier, which was myself. The first five seconds of the recording is just silence, which I use to focus and feel the music before I play it, which benefitted how I sounded and played for the recording."

"In 2020, we've all had to cope with the unpredictable, and I decided to show this through a compilation of the various interruptions in my piano performances -- both during in-person recitals in the past and during attempted recordings under quarantine. What with cell phones, sneezes, and malfunctioning smoke detectors, no two runs of a piece are exactly alike, but my response to all the disturbances is the same: I just keep playing."

"To put it simply, living through a pandemic has been nothing short of horrible. On top of that, by moving back to Athens I've been wrenched away from my support system, and a lot of the times it feels like I'm completely alone. What has been keeping me going is calling my long distance friends and lots of reminiscing on the magic that can come from getting together and making music that you connect to. That is what's keeping me resilient in this time. This is a recording of some of those friends and I in pre-pandemic days singing an arrangement of "Run to You" by Pentatonix. The chorus, just four simple words, makes me feel at home, and expresses my feelings towards those keeping me resilient. "I'll run to you.""

"Recorded on the steps of the Lyndon House, this particular performance of Fable by Common Currents tells a tale of resilience. Rather than play for in-person audiences, 44 bands gave virtual performances for the 2020 Historic Athens Porch*fest. The music industry is suffering greatly in this time, and our community is missing the live music we need for our souls’ wellbeing, but this online event managed to shine through the darkness. The song in this excerpt of Common Currents’ performance, Fable, reflects the thoughts many people in positions of privilege have had in response to recent events. While the ally’s struggle is very minimal compared to that of the oppressed, resilience is required during the education and reflection process that many are undergoing right now. We must work continuously to open our hearts to the BLM movement."

"When I was in high school, a teacher unexpectedly died in the middle of the semester shaking our entire community to its core. A year later, my grade went on an annual class trip he used to lead. When we were inside his favorite chapel, people began to share old stories and memories of him. There was a beautiful, white piano there and I asked if I could play. They said yes, and this was the song that rang across the room comforting us all, a reminder to continue loving those we can even in times of great sadness."

"Being a Music Performance major means a lot of high expectations and a lot of self doubt. What I've learned during my time here at UGA is to let go of any negative thoughts or fears and just let it go and have fun playing beautiful music. To me, that shows a lot of psychological resilience because there are so many obstacles throughout the mind that have to be hurdled over in order to succeed. It's not easy, but it's never impossible. You can do it. You are good enough. I believe in you."

"Two years ago, I was in Argentina with my cohort during Spring Break. The group you're hearing is a band of natives that had their communities destroyed and ravaged when Europeans first arrived in the country. They keep their culture alive and spread knowledge about their heritage through performances at different institutions and venues between sets."