People of Central: Aubrey MacIntosh

Story and photos by: Beth Nocerini

Stepping on stage in a flowing red dress clarinet in hand and music ready, Aubrey MacIntosh preformed various pieces of jazz, klezmer and classical music.  

“For me personally this was more than a performance; it was a representation of what it means to truly believe in yourself and go after your dreams in full force even if your dreams do not make sense to anyone else,” MacIntosh said.  

MacIntosh showcased her music style with songs such as Friend by Vincenzo Correnti and Klezmer Fantasy by Jenö Takács.  Playing the piano was Dr. Mary Jo Cox, a professor at CMU.

The last song Macintosh played was Blue Grey, a song she composed herself. She explained to the audience before playing how she has been composing music since she was 16. 

MacIntosh did not have an easy start to composing music, “I struggled with music literacy,” she said.  While she played many instruments and studied under various teachers growing up, she still could not understand how to read music, MacIntosh said.  

A suggested exercise from a band director helped her be able to learn to read music but also got her into composing. “It is very important to remind yourself of how far you have come and to truly keep an open mind,” MacIntosh said.  

MacIntosh has been performing since the age of 2 in musical activities such as dance and theater. “I have tried all these art forms, and the best way I can describe the clarinet is that it just worked for me. It made sense for who I am and how I want to express myself,” MacIntosh said.  

MacIntosh’s involvement in dance and theater is evident when she plays. Using her body movements to pull the audience in as much as the song. “I can feel music throughout my body,” MacIntosh said.  

Choosing music as her life path was not an easy one for MacIntosh. “Not good enough” and she’ll “never make it” were things she was told while in high school and when deciding what to major in, MacIntosh said.  

She recalls a time when she sat in her home office as a 17-year-old and truly thought if she would be happy in the future with her choices as she was being pushed to not pursue music. “I decided right then and there I was going to go all in and take a chance on myself because I owe it to myself to try,” she said.  

“The most important lesson that music has taught me is to not be afraid to take a chance on oneself,” MacIntosh said.  

MacIntosh plans to continue her schooling to achieve her master’s in arts administration with the hopes of working as an arts administrator. She plans to also continue performing on the clarinet and composing music.  

“Being a musician truly takes you on that self-discovery journey,” MacIntosh said. Self-doubt and comparison to others is something MacIntosh has struggled with over the years when playing music.  

Every time she overcomes this by the reminder that she is not trying to be a perfect musician, just herself. “It is very important to remind yourself of how far you have come and to truly keep an open mind,” MacIntosh said.  

“I am not a cookie cutter musician, but I’m Aubrey MacIntosh and that’s enough for me,” she said.  

MacIntosh encourages anyone who is considering to learn an instrument to do it. “As my grandmother would always say there is something new to learn every day, and I am a firm believer of that,” she said.  

“Music has helped me amplify my voice and I am excited to see where this takes me,” MacIntosh said.