For the second year in a row, 15-year-old Jessica Munoz has been accepted into the Manteca Unified’s All-District Honor Band.
But this is nothing new to the typical teen-ager who professes to “love music.”
“She’s been in a bunch of honor bands. She was in the band at Woodward Elementary School too,” said proud father John Munoz, a Manteca businessman and real estate broker. He is the owner of Munoz Real Estate.
Interestingly enough, Jessica is the only one among the couple’s five children who showed an interest in and a natural talent for music.
None of her four older siblings were into playing musical instruments, her father said.
Jessica plays the clarinet in the Manteca High School Band, her favorite instrument for the moment. But she also learned to play the piano and saxophone as well.
“I played saxophone (in the band) before,” said the sophomore student who aspires to become a writer of bestseller books someday.
She is also versatile on the piano, with her mother, Jo, as her piano teacher.
“I played the piano for a while but I mainly play the clarinet now,” said Jessica who started her lessons on the ivory keys when she was in fifth grade.
Her music and school band do not monopolize this busy sophomore’s time though. She’s also active in drama at Manteca High and is quite athletic, playing softball as well.
But she thoroughly enjoys her time with the Buffalo Band for a number of reasons.
“The group I’m with is just like a big family,” she says of her Buffalo band.
She has a very high regard for their band director Anthony Dahl.
“I think he’s amazing. He’s probably one of the great teachers I’ve ever had,” Jessica said.
While she is two years away from graduating from high school, she already has her heart set on attending a university in Southern California. One campus she is seriously considering is the University of California at Los Angeles where she plans to major in English toward a career as a writer.
“I was inspired to pursue English as a college major and be a writer by my freshman English teacher, Sara Hackett,” she said.
To contact Rose Albano Risso, e-mail ralbanorisso@mantecabulletin.com
But this is nothing new to the typical teen-ager who professes to “love music.”
“She’s been in a bunch of honor bands. She was in the band at Woodward Elementary School too,” said proud father John Munoz, a Manteca businessman and real estate broker. He is the owner of Munoz Real Estate.
Interestingly enough, Jessica is the only one among the couple’s five children who showed an interest in and a natural talent for music.
None of her four older siblings were into playing musical instruments, her father said.
Jessica plays the clarinet in the Manteca High School Band, her favorite instrument for the moment. But she also learned to play the piano and saxophone as well.
“I played saxophone (in the band) before,” said the sophomore student who aspires to become a writer of bestseller books someday.
She is also versatile on the piano, with her mother, Jo, as her piano teacher.
“I played the piano for a while but I mainly play the clarinet now,” said Jessica who started her lessons on the ivory keys when she was in fifth grade.
Her music and school band do not monopolize this busy sophomore’s time though. She’s also active in drama at Manteca High and is quite athletic, playing softball as well.
But she thoroughly enjoys her time with the Buffalo Band for a number of reasons.
“The group I’m with is just like a big family,” she says of her Buffalo band.
She has a very high regard for their band director Anthony Dahl.
“I think he’s amazing. He’s probably one of the great teachers I’ve ever had,” Jessica said.
While she is two years away from graduating from high school, she already has her heart set on attending a university in Southern California. One campus she is seriously considering is the University of California at Los Angeles where she plans to major in English toward a career as a writer.
“I was inspired to pursue English as a college major and be a writer by my freshman English teacher, Sara Hackett,” she said.
To contact Rose Albano Risso, e-mail ralbanorisso@mantecabulletin.com
