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A Band of Opportunity

For Joey Gutierrez, a senior at Mayfield High School in Kentucky, picking up the trumpet and joining the marching band has opened opportunities he never imagined. After moving from the West coast during grade school, Joey struggled academically. "Some of my subjects were horrible; I just didn't really care," Joey reflects. But as he moved on to high school and discovered band, things started to change. His passion for music and thirst for performance has now become a strong competitive and academic motivator. Now he wants to help others make similar discoveries. So, though he's excited to play the solo in Friday's big football game, he can't wait to leave for college to pursue his long-term goal of a PhD in trumpet performance. Joey will be the first in his family to attend college.

Photographed and produced by Benjamin Drummond during the 2008 Mountain Workshops in Mayfield, Kentucky.