“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” These words have been drilled into senior Ayanna Gregory’s mind by her mom throughout her life. Far from a nag, this phrase has motivated Gregory to progress as a musician and as a person.

Gregory first held a cello in her hands when she was in fourth grade. She can recall the exact moment when she decided what instrument she wanted to play.

“My first top two choices were cello and bass. So me being lazy, I decided to pick the one you get to sit down with, so the cello,” Gregory said.

She kept up with her musicality and continued playing all through elementary school and middle school. Finally, during her freshman year, she received her first own official cello, a gratifying experience after renting a cello for so many years.

It’s not unusual for an incoming freshman to be anxious about going to a new school and meeting new people. But for Gregory, she faced much more than the normal nervous butterflies. As excited as Gregory was to be a new musician in the orchestra at DGS, there was no hiding how intimidated she felt at first when she found out that she would be the only cellist in her section.

Each section usually has about three or four students who play the same instrument. But for Gregory, she had no one else to lean on. On top of figuring out life as a freshman, she had to progress as a musician all on her own.

“I had to take the initiative to do the music and learn the music on my own. I had a private lesson almost every day. It was hard because if I didn’t know the music, the whole cello section was just me,” Gregory said.

Despite being a lone cellist in orchestra, Gregory definitely learned some crucial lessons about standing on her own two feet. Her hard work proved its worth when she became section leader as a sophomore, an honor that most juniors and seniors get.

Gregory’s persistence never fails to amaze the people in her life. She has earned the respect of many, including her instructors. Jennifer Mullen, a music teacher here at DGS, describes a quality that she admires about Gregory.

“Ayanna has proven to be a very tenacious person.  She could have easily given up – that is the easy way out.  Playing the cello is challenging.  Playing music is such a cognitively complex thing to do – it is one of the very few activities humans can engage in that activates the whole brain.  Instead of giving up, however, Ayanna identified that she needed to take steps to get better, she engaged the help of me, her teacher, she acted on her teacher’s recommendation, she increased her individual practice time, and she worked, in a more disciplined way, to get better…and she did!  She kept believing in herself and working towards her challenging goal.  This is how learning happens — in anything — and I think Ayanna proved to herself, through her cello, that she is a quite competent learner, and is able to achieve any goal she is determined to meet. ” Mullen said.

After being together for four years, Mullen and Gregory became close. Mullen describes her fondest memory of Gregory.

“I will always remember when Ayanna came up to me to let me know that she was starting to really show improvement in all of her other classes. In addition to improving on the cello, I think Ayanna’s experience in orchestra has raised her own individual bar of expectation for herself and given her the confidence to succeed in all her classes. She learned that her success is dependent on her effort, but that she is capable of succeeding at anything.” Mullen said.

Also, coming from a very musical family, she is always encouraged to progress in her musical career. Gregory’s mother, Miasha Gregory, will always be one of her greatest motivators and biggest fans.

“I recognized her passion for cello and was blessed to find Tim Archbold, who is Ayanna’s amazing and patient private tutor. It was important to redirect her thought process to acknowledge this was more of an opportunity than an obstacle. Whenever she’d feel discouraged, I would remind her that she was a leader and how this experience would benefit her in the long run,” Miasha Gregory said.

However, Ayanna Gregory faced much more than just the struggle of learning on her own. As a young African-American woman in today’s society, she has dealt with many stereotypes that surround her ethnicity.

Although there is no cookie-cutter model of what a musician should look like, Ayanna Gregory has never failed to see surprised reactions when people learn that she is a cellist.

“We already have to work harder for what we want more than those that basically have it handed right to them. Therefore, I have always recognized that I stood out in the orchestra not just due to my ethnicity but also my passion for music. Society has pushed me to individualize myself to the point that I didn’t want to fit that stereotypical view of the perfect musician.”

“I’ve experienced being the token child due to adding to the diversity within a group, but this is always hard growing up and having to force myself to realize what was presented to myself, that being the only black child in a class is not always normal,” Ayanna Gregory said.

“I don’t take it personally, I’m a musician. I’m here to play,” Ayanna Gregory said.

As her final year at DGS soon comes to an end, the young cellist looks back with fond memories.

“The best memory would probably be when I went to Disney World with orchestra and had the opportunity to perform there for hundreds of people from around the world. This also showed me how grateful I was to have an opportunity in which I was able to work with well-accomplished conductors. Even though we had so much fun and late nights, we were there mainly to share our music with the world and that was the best.” Ayanna Gregory said.

Music has become a sort of safe haven for Ayanna Gregory; after a few minutes of playing, the anxieties of life are swept away by the cello. She knows her love for music will never die.

At the end of the day, she makes it a point to pay homage to her support system, her instructors and her family, for constantly encouraging her in even the smallest of ways.

“I appreciate all the love and support, which is the only reason I continued doing this. It could get discouraging and disappointing when you feel like you are not progressing, but that push and recognition from those around you can help greatly. I thank my mom for never giving up on my dreams and allowing me to be in such a great school district that I can pursue this gift I was given; without her, this would never happen,” Ayanna Gregory said.

As a parent, Miasha Gregory can’t help the beaming smile that graces her face when she thinks about how proud she is of her daughter.

“The first time I heard her play in the fourth grade, I was so proud and excited since her instrument of choice was exposing me to a genre of music I never thought to explore. I hope and dream that Ayanna does what makes her happy, while sharing her gifts to change, improve and inspire the lives of those in the world around her.” Miasha Gregory said. 

Already starting to make a positive influence, often times Ayanna Gregory’s two-year-old little brother would come into her room with wide eyes, amazed at his sister ’s talent with an eagerness to learn. Ayanna Gregory hopes to someday teach her little brother the cello and perhaps shape another musician.