After three weeks of PYPO alumni stories, today we’re excited to bring you a perspective from a current student! Isabella is a violinist and the concertmaster of Intermezzo Strings, and she shares how PYPO has nurtured her love and dedication to music by helping her build connections with others.
Even though it’s only her second year in PYPO, freshman violinist Isabella is hitting her stride and making new friendships in the process. Her musical journey began, like many other string players, in elementary school. Her mother had been a violinist throughout college, which is one of the reasons Isabella was drawn to the instrument. It didn’t take long for her to develop a passion for playing the violin, and she soon started taking private lessons.
After a couple years of lessons and school orchestra, she talked with a friend one day who was in PYPO and thought she might enjoy it. “I didn’t know what it was. He told me about it, and I thought that it sounded like so much fun.” She auditioned the following year, and joined the second violin section of Intermezzo Strings. “I enjoyed the experience, and made some new friends,” she says. “It was really fun playing in the orchestra and at the end of the season I was sad to go.” She wanted to continue and had a strong ambition to move up in her section. With a lot of practice and the help of her violin teacher, she became the concertmaster of Intermezzo Strings this season.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking [as concertmaster], because you’re responsible for your section, and everyone looks up to you,” she said. Isabella enjoys the challenge, though, and has learned how raising the bar for herself can bring a sense of achievement. One of her favorite things about playing music is seeing her hard work pay off. “It can be hard to enjoy a piece when you’re practicing, especially if you’re struggling. But once you get past that struggle and you start improving, it really is fulfilling. You have a sense of accomplishment that you’ve overcome the challenges you faced along the way. I’ve learned that it’s important to not give up.”
Studying a musical instrument develops grit, empathy, and resilience. It also increases your neuroplasticity, or how malleable your brain is. Learning to problem solve and troubleshoot technical passages is a skill that is fun to explore in the practice room. When Isabella encounters a difficult section in her music, she seeks advice from her teacher and musical peers. “I ask, ‘What have you done that has helped? What practice method should I use to make this better?’ And I try to apply those practice methods as much as I can.”
Through PYPO, Isabella has found a group of people who love music just as much as she does. “I really like being a part of PYPO and I think it’s a really good community. It helps build relationships with people you might have never met otherwise.” Playing alongside friends inspires Isabella to raise her musical skills. “It’s something to work for,” she says.
Isabella is planning to minor in music when she gets to college, but for now, her sights are set on another goal – to join the Philharmonic Orchestra next season. “I have an aspiration to be there not only for my friends who are in Philharmonic, but also for the music itself. I’ve heard them play and I really always enjoyed them. I always liked being around them and I’ve dreamed of being in Philharmonic so it would mean a lot to me to get accepted.”
At PYPO, we foster a life-long love of music through creativity, empathy, and excellence, and create lasting relationships along the way. Join us in supporting students like Isabella by donating today! Head to pypo.org/donate to make a gift and help us reach our goal of raising $15,000 for young musicians by December 31st.
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