Talented Music Students Find Their Tempo to Show off Their Tunes
Ranging from freshmen to seniors, Lara Levy shines a spotlight on her dedicated band students.
By Jocelyn Cosgrove
Ranging from freshmen to seniors, Lara Levy shines a spotlight on her dedicated band students.
By Jocelyn Cosgrove
Whether they are playing in the stands during a football game or performing their concerts in the PAC, the band program is one that is not easily forgotten.
With students joining the various band classes for all different reasons, there are few, including Allie Dinh, 9, Matt Coelho, 11, and Jonah Maloto, 12, whose dedication and hard work has made a positive impact on the band classes and their performances.
For instrumental music teacher Lara Levy, there are many qualities to being a musician and they are an influence for the students playing in the band classes.
“A guiding principle of mine is that ‘I don’t use people to make good music. I use music to make good people.’ So many things that we value in class and as a society has very little to do with actual music making and everything to do with being a valuable member of a group,” said Levy. “All of these students are hard workers. When they encounter things they don’t know or aren’t able to play well, they persist, learn it, and master it. Everyone learns at different rates and different things are challenging for different people. Nothing makes me more proud than to see students rise to challenges, take ownership of their program and volunteer for things that can be scary but so rewarding.”
Maloto, who has played bass guitar for seven years, joined jazz band to have an opportunity to play music.
“I just really liked jazz and I knew playing bass guitar was always something I wanted to do and school really allowed me to pursue my interests even further,” said Maloto.
As a student in chamber orchestra, Coelho feels his mom played a huge role in pushing him to play instruments in school.
“When I play, I'm inspired by my mom. She played flute in high school and college and really loves music so I try to make her proud when I perform,” said Coelho.
In wind ensemble, Dinh, who plays flute and bassoon, feels they play instruments as a hobby since it can lift the spirits of others and their own.
“Knowing I can spread the joy of music inspires me to keep playing, and for my own enjoyment (and) love for music in general,” said Dinh.
Another inspiration can come from the development of one’s skill and becoming more proficient in playing music.
“Improving my ability to play always inspires me as I can always find ways to better myself,” said Maloto.
As there have been many fond experiences in orchestra, Coelho looks back on the trip to Disneyland as the best memory so far.
“We got to travel to (Anaheim) for a weekend to compete at a competition and in between we got to go to the Disney parks. It was very fun and a great bonding experience with all other members of the orchestra,” said Coelho.
While many of the student musicians may only be in the band classes as a hobby, Levy hopes her students will take the lessons they learned from each performance into the next parts of their lives.
“I know most students aren’t going to pursue music as a career, but it is my sincere hope that they come away with a functional knowledge of music and become lifelong supporters of music education and live performances,” said Levy. “I also hope that there are lots of fond memories of the pieces we played, the trips we took, the friends we met and all the adventures that happened along the way.”
With students joining the various band classes for all different reasons, there are few, including Allie Dinh, 9, Matt Coelho, 11, and Jonah Maloto, 12, whose dedication and hard work has made a positive impact on the band classes and their performances.
For instrumental music teacher Lara Levy, there are many qualities to being a musician and they are an influence for the students playing in the band classes.
“A guiding principle of mine is that ‘I don’t use people to make good music. I use music to make good people.’ So many things that we value in class and as a society has very little to do with actual music making and everything to do with being a valuable member of a group,” said Levy. “All of these students are hard workers. When they encounter things they don’t know or aren’t able to play well, they persist, learn it, and master it. Everyone learns at different rates and different things are challenging for different people. Nothing makes me more proud than to see students rise to challenges, take ownership of their program and volunteer for things that can be scary but so rewarding.”
Maloto, who has played bass guitar for seven years, joined jazz band to have an opportunity to play music.
“I just really liked jazz and I knew playing bass guitar was always something I wanted to do and school really allowed me to pursue my interests even further,” said Maloto.
As a student in chamber orchestra, Coelho feels his mom played a huge role in pushing him to play instruments in school.
“When I play, I'm inspired by my mom. She played flute in high school and college and really loves music so I try to make her proud when I perform,” said Coelho.
In wind ensemble, Dinh, who plays flute and bassoon, feels they play instruments as a hobby since it can lift the spirits of others and their own.
“Knowing I can spread the joy of music inspires me to keep playing, and for my own enjoyment (and) love for music in general,” said Dinh.
Another inspiration can come from the development of one’s skill and becoming more proficient in playing music.
“Improving my ability to play always inspires me as I can always find ways to better myself,” said Maloto.
As there have been many fond experiences in orchestra, Coelho looks back on the trip to Disneyland as the best memory so far.
“We got to travel to (Anaheim) for a weekend to compete at a competition and in between we got to go to the Disney parks. It was very fun and a great bonding experience with all other members of the orchestra,” said Coelho.
While many of the student musicians may only be in the band classes as a hobby, Levy hopes her students will take the lessons they learned from each performance into the next parts of their lives.
“I know most students aren’t going to pursue music as a career, but it is my sincere hope that they come away with a functional knowledge of music and become lifelong supporters of music education and live performances,” said Levy. “I also hope that there are lots of fond memories of the pieces we played, the trips we took, the friends we met and all the adventures that happened along the way.”