When Fate Strikes a Note: Kevin Rosales’ Journey from Tech to IU

Sometimes fate has a way of guiding life’s direction. Being in the right place at the right time, picking up the right instrument as a youngster, can open the door to an incredible journey.

Kevin Rosales is living proof of that belief.

When the 2025 Arsenal Technical High School graduate first picked up a trombone, he never imagined it would lead him to Indiana University’s world-renowned Jacobs School of Music, the largest music school in the country.

In fact, music wasn’t even part of his plan.

“It was fate that I ended up doing band at all,” Rosales admitted. “It was just on my schedule to fill up electives. I tried the flute but couldn’t get a sound out of it. Mr. Goodman handed me a trombone, and that was it. My instrument was also fate.”

That unexpected twist sparked a passion that flourished through Indianapolis Public Schools’ (IPS) music programs and the IPS All-City Band, where Rosales stood out as a soloist for two years and earned the Outstanding Soloist Award at Purdue’s Jazz Fest.

“The balance between having fun with friends and the discipline of practice couldn’t have prepared me better for college auditions,” Rosales said. “The All-City Band was a family that kept me striving to be my best.”

Josh Goodman, Director of Bands at Arsenal Tech, said Kevin’s success has impacted the entire program.

“Having a student like Kevin completely changes the trajectory of a program. Students want to have the experiences he has had. He gives them someone to look up to. Our students see that in IPS and at Tech, you can compete and excel alongside peers from our surrounding districts.”

Goodman noted that Rosales’ achievements reflect the culture of excellence throughout the school.

“No longer in our program is it a possibility to qualify for state solo and ensemble and receive a Gold rating. It is now an expectation. Kevin’s experience speaks volumes about the support all teachers and admin at Tech provide to our students. To have students achieve greatness, you need a culture from the entire school community that expects that of our students. With our early college program and demanding technical programs, students at Tech are expected to achieve greatness in whatever they pursue.”

Now a freshman at IU, Rosales recently earned a coveted spot in the university’s top jazz band, and he’s proud to toot his own horn.

“Of the five freshman trombonists, only two of us made top band,” Rosales said. “The first person I called was my mom. Without her support, I’d be lost. Making it was for her, my mentors, and my friends as much as it was for me.”

Though he misses the family he built at Tech and with the All-City Band, Rosales is thriving at IU.

His advice for younger IPS students is simple: “Make and maintain long-lasting connections. Surround yourself with people who want to see you strive. Those relationships will shape your future.”

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