She sits quietly outside a UIL competition room, her guitar case resting against her leg as her fingers trace invisible chords in the air. The hallway hums with voices and footsteps, but inside her head, everything feels loud. Every note she has practiced for hours, days and weeks threatens to disappear the moment the door opens.

“I remember feeling like my heart was beating faster than my hands could move,” junior Sasha Romero said. “It’s just me and the judge in the room. I walk in, sit down and just start playing.”

For UIL solo performances, there’s no audience to blend into and no ensemble to hide behind. Just Romero, her guitar and a judge listening closely. Before even stepping into the room, she and the other competitors spent nearly seven hours running through pieces again and again, hoping muscle memory would overpower their fear.

“It’s awkward,” Romero said. “There is a lot of tension in the room since it’s just you and the judge, which makes every minute super intense.”

When she walks out, the nerves melt into pride. This year, Romero earned high honors, winning gold for her ensemble performance and silver for her solo performance.

Music has been part of Romero’s life for years, but she did not always picture herself as a guitarist. After playing violin for about five years before high school, she was beginning to feel trapped.

“I wanted to try something new,” Romero said. “Violin didn’t offer the same freedom that guitar does. With the violin, you have to follow strict finger placements and rules. With guitar, you can make your own chords and create your own sounds. It’s just more flexible.”

Listening to bands like Bauhaus and Malice Mizer also influenced her decision.

“They had really nice instrumentals involving guitars and basses,” Romero said. “That definitely made me want to try guitar.”

She began playing guitar two years ago, starting with formal lessons under Mark Moore, one of the original guitar teachers at Bellaire. From the beginning, Romero said the instrument felt different — more open and flexible.

“It’s very freeing,” Romero said. “It lets me express my emotions. Guitar can be beautiful, and it’s not as restrictive. You can play almost anything on it.”

Guitar teacher Daniel Flutur has seen that commitment first hand.

“Sasha Romero is a very dedicated and serious guitar student,” Flutur said. “Through her daily guitar studies, she has shown progress every day and every week. Her dedication to excellence shows through the quality of her performance. She is an award-winning guitar player.”

That dedication became especially apparent as school stress began to pile up. Playing guitar became more than a class or an extracurricular — it became an escape.

“It helps with stress and anxiety,” Romero said. “It gives me a space to focus only on music, to breathe and let everything else go for a while.”

That connection is something junior Kyla Rocha noticed early on. Rocha, who is concert master in the Bellaire Philharmonic Orchestra, understands the dedication required for competitive music. When Romero first mentioned that she played guitar, Rocha was intrigued, but it was UIL that made her realize how serious Romero was.

“When she told me she was going to UIL, I remember thinking, ‘She must be really good,’” Rocha said. “You don’t just go to UIL unless you’re truly dedicated.”

Like many musicians, Romero faced moments where quitting felt easier than continuing. Learning guitar from the ground up wasn’t smooth, especially when preparing for ensemble performances, where multiple guitarists play different parts of the same piece, and every rhythm and note must line up perfectly.

“At the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing,” Romero said. “Learning a piece for class is a lot different than learning something you choose yourself, and when you’re in an ensemble, everything has to be perfect. I always try my best, and I think it’s worth it in the end.”

One of her most challenging moments came at the beginning of the school year while learning a difficult ensemble piece, “La Llorona.” After coming back from summer break, Romero said the transition back into school and extracurriculars made the music feel overwhelming.

The piece required learning new rhythmic patterns, unfamiliar notes and techniques, all while keeping time with the rest of the ensemble.

“It felt like there was just too much going on,” Romero said. “Learning a piece for class can be a lot harder because you have to learn complicated rhythms and new skills. I felt stuck.”

Through support from her teachers and persistence, Romero pushed through, slowly gaining confidence and patience, not just as a musician, but as a person.

“My teachers have always been really supportive and patient with us,” Romero said. “Mr. Flutur is one of my favorite teachers because he’s honest when we mess up, but he says it in a really kind and understanding way. I’ve definitely become more patient, especially with myself.”

That dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed by Rocha, who sees Romero’s commitment as a reflection of who she is beyond music.

“I think music plays a really big role in Sasha’s life,” Rocha said. “When you play an instrument like guitar, it shows dedication and commitment to something you love.”

Seeing Romero step into competitive spaces like UIL has sparked something in Rocha herself.

“Watching her go to UIL kind of makes me want to do it too,” Rocha said. “I think I could, but I’m scared. Seeing her do it makes it feel possible.”

Despite her experience, nerves never fully disappear. Whether performing in the auditorium or walking into a UIL room, the fear is still there — shaky hands, racing thoughts and the worry of forgetting everything.

“I always think I’m going to mess up,” Romero said. “Sometimes I feel like I’ll forget the whole thing.”

But every performance ends the same way it does when she plays in the practice room, as a release of anxiety.

“When it’s over, I feel proud,” Romero said. “Playing reminds me why I started. No matter how nervous I am, music makes everything feel worth it.”.