Blog Post 1: Who am i?

That’s a secret I’ll never tell. XOXO…just kidding! If you’re reading this, I’m so happy that you are visiting my website. Please let me introduce myself!

My name is Jackie Gillette, I am a clarinetist, and this is the start of the “short” version of how I got to this moment in time. It all started in fourth grade. I was excited to take the ear training test to get into band, only to be rejected. My only hope? The band teacher said that anyone who learns an instrument can audition the next year. I talked about it nonstop, and on my tenth birthday that May, my grandparents gave me my first clarinet. They drove me to lessons all summer, where I would practice “Mary had a Little Lamb” in their backseat of their car on the way there (definitely do NOT practicing in the car-safety first!). They loved to listen to me practice (at home, in addition to the car lol) and lifted me up every chance that they got.

That September, I walked into the auditorium excited to play for the band teacher. Somehow, I had no nerves. I had already loved my clarinet so much that I just couldn’t wait to play for him. I played “Mary Ann” out of a band book and earned my spot in the 5th grade band. It was a moment that would shape my entire future.

My musical journey started in a Brooklyn Public School, and has taken me all around the world, playing with some of the greatest musicians, in the greatest halls, for the greatest audiences. Read on to see how my journey continued in middle school!