Her fingers danced on her flute as she stood in front of thousands of people, the hard work came into play as she became one with her music.

The eyes of parents, teachers and supporters watched as the melody danced through the air. Awaiting the final note to ring, her mind began to fill with excitement. All the rehearsals, early mornings and treacherous heat had come to this very moment. This was it.

They won the state title. She was a state champion.

As the applause roared around her, sophomore Mackenzie Killian knew this was what she was meant for and where she was meant to be.

In elementary school, Mackenzie picked up the flute, never imagining it would become more than a pastime. Despite her doubts, she later performed as a soloist in her band’s state-winning performance during her sophomore year.

“I’ve never felt so much pressure but also so much success.” Mackenzie said.

After three years of middle school, Mackenzie sat through presentations for high school, unsure of what extracurriculars to try and what classes to take.

“[Students] came to all of our classes and [were] trying to get us to join band, and I thought it would be really fun,” Mackenzie said. “It was an extracurricular activity I could do and was already used to.”

At the time, it was nothing more than a chance. She never expected how much of an impact joining the band would have on her life. She said music became an integral part of her life.

“You learn so much from being in that intense practice schedule,” Mackenzie said. “Time management, ensemble skills [and] working together helps me with my other classes, especially in group projects. It’s given me a better work ethic because I had to do so much stuff at once.”

Mackenzie said music is much more than just a hobby — it’s a constant. It’s something that has kept her grounded through the many waves of life.

“I’m the type of person that if I get bored, I go crazy,” Mackenzie said. “Especially with band, having rehearsal every single day and so much going on all the time. It helps me take my mind off things when I’m stressed.”

Her time in band has been more than performing pieces, she said it shaped the way she approaches life: teamwork, structure, discipline and resilience. One of her friends and fellow flute band members, Jaron Joby said he admires her determination.

“Kenzie has a lot of humility, and a lot of perseverance,” Joby said. “Especially [with] her having a solo this year, she might have had some ups and downs about how she felt about her playing, but she continued to grow from that.”

During summer band, she was fifth chair and said she didn’t have any expectation to move up. Director Andy Sealy said Mackenzie’s ability to absorb feedback and push through challenges has been solidified through hours of rehearsal.

“She’s growing as a musician constantly,” Sealy said. “She’s very faithful in taking her lessons and her private lessons from a couple of different sources. She is a good practitioner, and she is faithful on how to practice well and manage her time.”

Mackenzie said the band had shaped the way she handled her workload. Looking back, she sees how it has transformed her from someone who couldn’t handle intense workloads, to someone who now can.

“[If you] showed me my last semester [schedule] to me in sixth grade, I would’ve been like, ‘No, I’m not joining high school band,’” Mackenzie said.

When she stood on the field at state finals, with thousands of people watching, she said the weight of the moment truly dawned on her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people on the field in my life,” Mackenzie said. “When we went there last year, there [weren’t] even close to that many people. [I was] looking up at all the people and I was like, ‘How am I going to do this?’”

But it all faded away as the final notes she played began to sing to the audience. The hours of training, practice, and muscle memory took over, and she felt true relief. At that moment, she realized that every challenge she had pushed through led her here. This wasn’t just another performance, it was proof of how far she had come.

“After I played it for the last time, I was like, ‘Dang. I can work that hard to achieve my goals,’” Mackenzie said. “And I don’t think I would have gotten that experience from doing anything else.”