Chad and Patrice

Chad and Patrice are two of my closest companions, and I've known them for a large amount of my life, and I've loved my time with them. If you couldn't tell already, yes, Chad is my cello, and Patrice is my piano, and they've become so important to me that I just had to name them. After all, as a musician, I have endured so many musical experiences that have shaped me as a person, and I want to share what being a student musician is like. I've played piano for 12 years, and I've played cello for 5 years, so clearly, you can tell I've really done nothing else but spend hours of my time playing two, three, four centuries-old music.

Playing an instrument literally takes a mental and physical toll on you because it becomes such a routine. Imagine having additional teachers outside of school who's job is to better your playing while constantly reminding you to PRACTICE. In fact, I'm absolutely positive, the word 'practice' has got to be one of the first words I ever learned as a child thanks to my private teachers. Besides the constant reprimand I get from my teachers to practice more often for both piano and cello, I can say that the private lessons are the only dislikable part of playing an instrument. The opportunities I've been participated in because of my ability to play two instruments have been extraordinary.

Last year, I decided to audition for a youth orchestra in Elgin aka EYSO. It was one of my first experiences playing outside of school and with kids my age I had never met before. By far, it was and has been the only extracurricular I truly looked forward to. Playing challenging yet exhilarating music like Saint Saen's Danse Bacchanale, and playing in a small quartet year-round not only made me a better cellist but also developed my love for music and broadened my experience with music literature. In addition, as a pianist, I also got to play the piano for a piece that combined several songs from West Side Story. I still remember how proud I was to stand in front of an audience by myself as the conductor acknowledged my contribution as a solo pianist at the very end of the concert.

Very recently, I also got the chance to participate in a concerto competition. For those who may not be aware, a concerto is a piece of musical literature that designates a solo for typically one instrument which is accompanied by an orchestra. It requires a lot of practice because the solo is designed to demonstrate your skills on your instrument to the audience, and there is a lot of competition from other students who have been working on concertos as well. Winners usually either get a monetary prize or perform their concerto with a symphony orchestra. I chose to participate in Naperville's youth orchestra or NYSO's concerto competition on the piano, my primary instrument. Practicing Mozart's No.19 in F Major, movement three has got to be the hardest I've ever practiced on anything. I mean two weeks before my audition, I played the entire piece at home and practiced little gritty parts in between for at least an hour or two every single day. It got to the point that I literally couldn't sleep because the piece kept running through my head, and when I was awake, my fingers were tapping the notes on "keys" on my desk. For the audition, however, I also needed a piano accompanist to perform an arranged version of the orchestral accompaniment, and I was referred to a conductor and pianist by the name of Nyela Basney. I can assure you, I was VERY nervous to play with a professional conductor who had conducted orchestras in the U.S. and in Europe, but the insight I learned from our rehearsals together is a treasure I will never forget. Although I didn't end up coming in first place at the competition, I had so much fun learning this professional, mature concerto. It was a piece of literature that was challenging and very long, but so worth the hours of practice I dedicated.

All in all, I know that music and playing an instrument doesn't always get a lot of or enough attention from people, but it really is a life-changing hobby. I mean, I could never imagine a lifestyle where I come home and don't have to think about auditions or practicing or stressing out about how I have private lessons coming up because it's literally ingrained in my life. Yes, I hate it sometimes because it can feel like a burden since I have to make time for practice above participating in other activities, but those moments when I stand with the rest of the orchestra at the end of a thrilling concert and in front of the applause and standing ovations, and when I'm in the zone breezing through piano keys at a recital, I realize that music is worth so much more to me than anything else.