The Spirit of Cerritos: Meet Cerritos High's Daniel Watson

Editor's Note: Patch will be posting musician profiles and features in anticipation of the  . 

Hello, my name is Daniel Watson. I’m a freshman at and play clarinet in the Cerritos High Wind Symphony.

I started high school being a part of band. We had practices over the summer and I had to schedule everything around that. During field season we would always strive to be the best we could be. There were some days where we were not in sync and we didn't do well, but the next day we would come out with a bang and impress our instructors. We put time, dedication, and teamwork out onto the field and in the end we got 2nd place at championships.

To be in wind symphony you need to practice and be the best you can be at all times. You always need to practice your music, improve at every practice and never go down a couple of steps. You should always go into rehearsal ready for any adjustments in music and critiques the director might give you. To be excellent at something you always need to be on top of your game, never backing down, playing all the fortes and pianos, and doing all the accented notes.

I started marching band at in 7th grade and continued to high school playing the clarinet. I started studying music in 3rd grade by learning how to play the piano and the drums. The piano taught me how to read notes well and the drums helped me learn beats and how to keep time.

Some days, I have to give up my free time to go over music and tell people that I can’t go out because of band practice. I've had to give up a lot of things just so I can be a part of band. When we would get new music I would look at it and be like, “Woah, I would never be able to play something like that,” but through time and practice I’ve been able to play harder music then I’ve ever dreamed of playing.

Teamwork plays a huge roll in the band. Being on a team has taught me, that I can achieve more than I would being a part of a team than as an individual. Each member of the band must learn their part, know when to come in, and learn balance and blend. My family is also like a band. Each member in my family plays a different role -- whether it’s cleaning the house, or going to work to make money; each member contributes and helps the other.

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Donor and Sponsorship Opportunities to Support the CHS Wind Symphony Still Available

Community members and local businesses are encouraged to donate funds toward this historic trip. Donor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Fundraising Coordinator Leslie J. Machado at (562) 577-1802 or via email at lesliejmachado@gmail.com.