Introduction - Emmanuel Herrera

Hello, My name is Emmanuel Herrera I am a Music Education Major. My main instrument is French Horn, I am currently 3rd horn in the UNR Concert band and 4th horn in the Symphony Orchestra. My dream is to help music make its way back into public schools and not have any more music programs cut. For that reason, I pledged myself to the Xi Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Mens Music Fraternity on campus, and part of the sinfonian objective is the advancement of music in America. 

My love for music started my freshman year of Highschool, at the time I was thinking of quitting music but my director gave me an opportunity of a lifetime, which was to be one of two freshmen in the wind ensemble(top group) and I accepted. Before that, I disliked music simply because it wasn´t exciting or challenging but once I started playing in the top group I realized that once you become familiar with your instrument and classical repertoire playing music and entertaining audiences is one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. Over the course of high school, my director introduced me to different genres of classical music and different techniques I could use to enhance my playing. Of course, all of this, including the not so pep talks from my director about teaching music led me to pursue a career in music as a teacher and/or professional horn player in a world-class symphony.

I am from Las Vegas, NV, I went to Rancho Highschool and I am the first in my family to graduate high school and attend college. This is my first semester at UNR, I was supposed to start in the fall but I had a really severe knee injury causing me to postpone until this semester and I still need another surgery to repair my ACL and PCL ligaments in my left knee(So if you see a big guy in a wheelchair around campus that´s me).

I was born in Lynwood, California but I believe I moved to Vegas when I was around maybe 3 years old. My family used to live in a one bedroom apartment with another family, who we no longer talk to for some reason. I moved around schools a lot during elementary since we were looking for places to live but when it came to middle and high school I was able to attend one school for all 3 years of middle school and all four years of high school, which let me actually learn and excel in my studies.

I value friendship a lot, I am still in touch with my horn section from high school, I was kind of like a mentor to all of them and they mean a lot to me. I helped them grow as musicians and they helped me grow as a leader. Almost all my friends are either in music or were in music and they mean a great deal to me as well. I also wouldn´t be here, in college or at how at peace I am with my injury, without my friends and family.