Music News at CCA CCA Middle School Music Department Newsletter Spring 2021 Issue In This Issue In this edition of the newsletter: • CCA Student Musician Spotlight • Join a Music Club • CCA Staff Musician Spotlight • Music In Our Schools Month Article • April Music Calendar • Contact Us CCA Student Musician Spotlight CCA student musicians were interviewed during the month of March in celebration of Music in Our Schools Month. Read more about Ethan Olivo Torres (6th Grade), Patricia Harden (10th Grade), and Matthew Quigley (11th Grade). Keep reading to find out how you can get involved in music at CCA. 1 - Ethan Olivo Torres, 6th Grade Which instruments do you play? I play the acoustic guitar. When and why did you start playing? I started playing about 5 years ago when I was around 7 years old. My parents thought it would be a good idea for me to learn an instrument because it would teach me routine and discipline. We picked the guitar because it was a portable instrument that I could take with me anywhere. Is your family musical? No one in my family plays an instrument, but my mom likes to listen to music a lot. Which famous musicians do you admire, or have you learned from? I really like watching different guitarist on You tube. Two of my favorites are an Italian guitarist, Luca Stricagnoli, and also Sungha Jung. Who are your favorite musicians? I don't have a favorite. Music is so varied it's hard to pick just one. Right now, I'm just listening to many different styles and genres of music in general. I'm really into older songs that are heavy in guitar sound. Then I try to see if I can copy the sound on my own. Have you performed in or for the public? Describe where and how you perform. I have played in front of family and at gatherings with friends a few times, but that's all. I don't really have a performance style. I usually know beforehand what song I'm going to play, so I practice a lot ahead of time. How much time in a day or a week would you say you spend practicing? I have my actual guitar lesson once a week and I usually practice for 15 -20 mins a few times a day. My practice time isn't very formal, but I get it in daily. Describe why music is important in your life. Music is important to me because I like learning new things, and playing an instrument gives me the opportunity to do that. Every time, I learn a new song it gives me confidence. It's also a good way to pass the time, especially since we haven't been able to get out as much this past year. Music helps me feel more relaxed as well. 2 - Patricia Harden, 10th Grade Which instruments do you play? I play the violin. When and why did you start playing? I started playing in fourth grade. I don't really have a proper reason to play violin specifically, it was just an instrument I liked hearing the sound to, and when I started playing, I enjoyed doing it. Is your family musical? My family surprisingly isn't as musical. My mom's grandfather played the accordion, and my sisters played the clarinet and violin in school but quit when they got to high school. I'm the only member that really kept going with music, and I plan to outside of high school and hopefully into college. Which famous musicians do you admire, or have you learned from? A musician I learned a lot from, in a short amount of time though, is another violinist: Melissa White. She's a highly acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and even runs a yoga program. I got to perform in a violin masterclass with her, and I learned a lot of violin-related ways to practice a certain piece. Ms. White gives me motivation and inspiration to reach new heights on the violin. Who are your favorite musicians? My favorite musician is Hilary Hahn. She's a brilliant musician, and her "100 days of practice" videos really inspire me on how practice really runs from the world-class soloist perspective. Sometimes, it deals with things I deal with every day, so I feel better about practice. Have you performed in or for the public? Describe where and how you perform. I've performed in a "music school" environment if it counts. At Settlement Music School, I've played several performances and did more in youth orchestras in Philadelphia. How much time in a day or a week would you say you spend practicing? I don't really time myself on practice, but generally, it's around 3 hours. I say generally in a very loose term because it is better to practice up to an hour, but with deep focus, than to go for 3 hours and not make much progress. I used to time myself, and I found practice more unsettling and unfavorable than I did now (not timing myself). After all, most of the work is up to the musician, so it's better to go for shorter periods of time, but really focus, than to go for long hours. And that goes for everything I do: scales, etudes, solo, orchestral, or chamber work. Describe why music is important in your life. Music is important in my life because it has always been there for me even before I started playing the violin. I was a hyper kid, and music kept me calm. I was able to put all my energy towards practicing and overall, it has become an integral part of my life. I could think of several things I could do outside the music world, but it wouldn’t replace the satisfaction that music gives. 3 - Matthew Quigley, 11th Grade Which instruments do you play? I don’t play a specific instrument, I kind of synthesize to a point to where it sounds like an instrument but is all just a digital version. When and why did you start playing? I started almost 4 years ago, and that’s an interesting story. I never really grew up with electronic music, it was mostly rock, and maybe every now and then a pop song. I remember the first time my brother introduced me to Skrillex, and I found out what techno was. Of course, I didn’t really know it was called techno, and it didn’t really matter to me. After only listening to Skrillex for about 3 years my brother introduced me to Madeon, a French electro-pop artist. It was so interesting to me, especially since I’d never known there were different types of electronic music. Right after hearing his music I said to my brother, “I want to do that," and so another 3 years after that, I started. Is your family musical? Not really; I know my sisters liked to sing, and my older brother started making music not long after I did. My other brother makes music as well, but he likes to sing and play the guitar, not like me where I just sit at a computer. I’d say we’re decently musical, it just depends where you look. Which famous musicians do you admire, or have you learned from? For years, I have been inspired by Madeon and Porter Robinson. The things I’ve learned came from Virtual Riot; he has helped me with making melodic dubstep and glitch hop. Who are your favorite musicians? I flip flop between favorites sometimes, but I think like with anyone, that you always have a root as to who is your favorite. Right now, I’m really into God’s Warrior and Nasko. Both are very talented artists. Have you performed in or for the public? Describe where and how you perform. I used to do Twitch streams of my DJ sets, and I would just play songs, along with some light effects from my Launchpad. I have yet to perform in a public, physical place. I’m looking forward to it, that’s for sure. How much time in a day or a week would you say you spend practicing? Probably about 7 hours a day, which is mainly just watching YouTube videos on how to do certain things, or playing around in the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation ) with different plugins and rhythms. Describe why music is important in your life. Honestly, I’m not sure how music can’t be important to people. It’s what gets us through hard times and is always there to make us feel better in one way or another. It’s important to me because it’s what gives me motivation. Knowing that even if I’m having a bad day, I have actual fans who enjoy my music, and it makes them happy to listen to it. My goal is to make people happy, and I know I can do that with music. Join a Music Club Are you interested in getting involved with music? Check out some of these clubs at CCA! Music Club Music club is a group where students in grades 6 - 12 meet weekly to share their appreciation for music. Many of the members enjoy performing and receiving feedback on their performances. Other members just enjoy listening to the performances by their peers. This is group is open to all musicians - singers, instrumental musicians, and music producers. Join us if you want to spend time with other students who love music and performing just as much as you do! Music Club Page in Edio Contact Ms.