Before the long holiday break, The Highland Echo spent some time getting to know student Peter Oselador. Oselador, a senior, is a rising musician involved in multiple groups within our high school. He has already earned several achievements such as being a finalist in the New Jersey Music Educators Association composition contest in 2016, earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and being inducted into the National Honor Society.

Oselador gave insight into his current activities, saying, “I am involved with the jazz band, jazz choir, the Christmas show, and the musical. I just finished applying to colleges because my major, music composition, usually needs the applications by December. I am a founding member of The Guild: Strategy and Gaming Club, and I am also involved with the GSA, TV Science, the National Honor Society, and the choir and band programs.”

Obviously Oselador juggles a lot and doesn’t seem to have any time to himself. It may seem impossible to balance so many extracurricular activities on top of an average school day, and the homework that follows, but clearly Oselador has impeccable focus and time management skills to plan his schedule each and every day. But that is not the entirety of his success in this case.

Oselador believes that if he puts in the effort he has the chance to make music his career, and hopes to make a living off of his art form. He says that since it is such a difficult field in which to succeed, having that central idea guides a vast majority of his decisions. He does not plan to play his instrument for money or fame, “All I truly need is a roof over my head, food, water, a piano, and either staff paper or a score-writing software,” he told staff.
However, Oselador did not become so successful without overcoming hardships and fighting his own internal battles. “My early youth was quite eccentric. I was born 11 weeks premature, was not very athletic, and much was more emotional than most other kids I knew. I never quite fit in anywhere, mostly due to the fact that I was moderately socially awkward. I discovered music in kindergarten, and have wanted to pursue it some way or another ever since.”As he grew older, Oselador battled against his own weaknesses, such as procrastination, perfectionism, depression, and the feeling that he would be weak if he relied on others.
Eventually, Oselador was able to find the right ways to combat these weaknesses. He told The Highland Echo that to overcome his procrastination, he uses the fact he can tap into the potential of his medium (music) and turn it into whatever he wants. In order to fight his perfectionism, Oselador reminds himself that nobody is perfect, but he can strive for it within reason. As for the depression, he now regularly goes to a therapist to assist him. Now that Oselador is able to overpower his weaknesses, he can continue to improve and master his objectives.Despite challenges while growing up, Oselador found profound happiness in music.
Peter Oselador is a wonderful example of what it means to win your battles and stand among the very best. Even though there are hardships and flaws, one just has to have a powerful drive to push forward and succeed. No matter what that goal is, with enough passion and persistence you can achieve whatever you desire the most. With the right motivation and the right amount of effort, you can accomplish anything you truly desire, and Peter Oselador is a perfect example of this.