CMPI Senior Jazmyn Irons is starting at Michigan State University in the fall for Flute Performance! We had the chance to chat with Jazmyn about her journey through music, time at CMPI, and college audition process.
Jazmyn began playing the flute in fourth grade. Having heard of the flute in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild just a week before trying instruments, she immediately gravitated towards it. She was able to get a sound out on the first try and has stuck with it ever since! Since then, music has become more than a hobby. It has taught her discipline and helped her personal growth. Jazmyn has been a part of Merit School of Music for two years and took part in this year’s Equity Arc Pathways Orchestra.
Equity Arc was a standout experience to Jazmyn because she was able to play music with other people who are from underrepresented backgrounds. Jazmyn said, “It made me feel like it’s not just me, not just this small group of people in CMPI who have this experience.” She was able to build connections with musicians that she may not have met otherwise, like Hannah Hammel, principal flutist of the Detroit Symphony.
Jazmyn also emphasized the importance of being able to connect with minority musicians who will be her colleagues for the rest of her musical career. “CMPI allows for a lot of connection building and opportunities that will get your name out there. By taking part in these opportunities, I’ve been able to already have my name out there.”
Another moment from her time at CMPI that stood out was being able to perform in a masterclass for composer and flutist Valerie Coleman. It was a great opportunity to connect and keep in touch for the future!
To Jazmyn, the college application process started well before anything was first due – in August. She started to take prospective lessons, which were valuable because she got to learn about different professors’ teaching styles while they got to know her learning style. When the time came for auditions, she was a lot more comfortable because of the trial lesson process, especially considering how she felt during the first versus the last audition.
Jazmyn’s advice to those going through the college application process is, “Stay organized and timely. Everything comes too soon – it feels like you have a lot more time than you have, but next thing you know it is a week before your audition! Schedule everything out so you have checkpoints in your preparation to work towards. Then, you’ll have more certainty of your own playing, and it will ease your nerves. Make sure stressors from your life don’t build up.”
Jazmyn is excited to be able to focus even more on music in college. Being a student at Whitney Young Magnet High School, it’s been hard to put the amount of time she wants into music. Being able to practice for as long as she wants and build a schedule around music over the summer and into the school year will be pivotal. In college, Jazmyn is excited to develop as a musician, build connections with other professionals, and to have music be her primary focus.
Outside of the flute, Jazmyn enjoys drawing and playing video games – especially Stardew Valley, Elden Ring, and Final Fantasy!
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