For Warwick Valley High School senior Flora Gilley, creativity has never been confined to just one space. From playing trombone in the WVHS wind ensemble and jazz band, to leading as drum major in the marching band, preparing for stage roles, or crafting stories during study hall, she has dedicated her high school years to discovering and expressing her creative spirit.
Gilley’s journey with the trombone began in fifth grade, sparked by a serendipitous discovery at her elementary school’s instrument “try it out” fair. Expecting to prefer the flute or clarinet, she found herself drawn to the trombone when those other instruments just didn’t resonate with her.
“I tried it and I was like, wait — this actually works,” she said. “I couldn’t even get the other instruments to make a sound, but with the trombone, I just immediately knew.”
Gilley is now the second chair trombonist in the wind ensemble and also shines in jazz band. She is also drum major with the marching band, a leadership position bestowed upon her via student election. In that role, she leads the band during parades, keeping everyone in sync and setting the tone for performances.
Performing has always been part of her life, even beyond music. She began dance lessons at just three years old and later found her way into musical theater. She has performed both in school productions and with the Acting Out Playhouse, a community-based theater program that played a major role in her creative development.
“I’ve been doing creative performance stuff since I was really little,” she said. “It’s always been something I come back to.”
Over the years, Gilley has taken on a wide range of roles, from Marty the Zebra in “Madagascar Jr.” to Cinderella in “Into the Woods,” Grandma Berthe in “Pippin” and Alice Beineke in “The Addams Family”. The latter role stands out as a favorite as she said it gave her the chance to explore a character very different from herself.
“She had this scene where she just gets really angry,” Gilley said. “I don’t usually get roles like that, so it was really fun to tap into something new.”
While the stage has been a constant, her creativity also extends beyond performance. As an avid reader of fantasy novels, she’s begun to explore writing and storytelling herself. Recently, she’s found herself writing more often, using her study halls to work on new stories.
“I find it really relaxing,” she said.
Academically, Gilley has gravitated toward classes that invite exploration and critical thought. This year, she’s especially enjoyed Critical Thinking in the Humanities, a course she describes as both intellectually challenging and freeing.
“You’re thinking critically about everything, from so many angles,” she said. “It’s not a brain break necessarily, because you’re thinking a lot, but you get to explore how you think, and that’s really wonderful.”
An Art History course she took last year also left a lasting impression, deepening her appreciation for how creativity and history are intertwined.
“To know history, you have to know the people,” she said. “And to know the people, you have to know their art.”
That mindset has helped shape Gilley plans beyond high school. After graduation, she will be utilizing her dual citizenship and moving to Germany, where her mother is from, to attend Heidelberg University. She plans to study archaeology and ancient history.
“I’ve always loved traveling,” she said. “When I go on vacations, I never get homesick. I would always just be like, ‘I want to live here,’” she said.
When asked about the highlight of her high school experience, Gilley doesn’t single out one specific achievement. Instead, she values the journey of discovering her identity and passions.
“I came into high school with no clue what I wanted to do,” she said. “I thought I had to do something creative, like theater, but I’ve learned that history can be creative, too.”
Gilley encourages others to embrace uncertainty, explore new experiences and trust the process.
“You just have to do it,” she said. “It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. That’s how you learn.”
As she looks ahead to graduation, a move across the Atlantic and the adventure that comes next, Gilley remains open to possibilities, focused less on having all the answers and more on keeping doors open.
“That’s kind of the fun part,” she said. “I trust myself in the future to make the right choices.”