For our final Senior Spotlight of the 2021-22 season, we are featuring two seniors from our violin section and one from our cello section. Learn more about Sophia, Max, and Katy below!
Sophia
Sophia has been a part of the #TRYPOfam for six years. During her time in TRYPO, Sophia has played cello in Symphonette and Young Peoples Orchestra. Sophia became interested in joining TRYPO because she always heard fellow musicians speaking very highly of the program. Her favorite TRYPO memory was when she got to go to Washington, D.C. with her friends during her time in Symphonette. Sophia graduated from Pittsburgh CAPA, and her future plans include going to college to pursue a degree in nursing. Then after a few years of gaining experience, Sophia wants to become a travel nurse and help patients across the country. Later she plans on attending graduate school to become a nurse practitioner specializing in pediatrics. Her advice to future TRYPO students is to “stay focused and driven on your goals for your future. Never give up on anything and always keep going.”
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Max
Max plays violin in our Young Peoples Orchestra ensemble. When asked why he was interested in joining TRYPO, he responded, “I wanted a bigger, more challenging environment to play and listen to music beyond my school program. I got exactly what I was looking for!” Max’s favorite TRYPO memory was, “…a moment when we weren’t quite getting the Epitaph, and Mr. Worsdale told us about his experience with 9/11 and the Tree of Life shootings, and when he was done, the room was completely silent for what felt like a minute. And then he gave us ‘one,’ and it all became music.” Max graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School. He plans to take a gap year to fill out his music portfolio and perfect his audition before applying to conservatories for piano performance and music composition. His advice to TRYPO musicians is, “I think being adventurous is important. Doing anything halfheartedly will only feel like a mistake.”
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Katy
Katy has been a member of TRYPO’s violin section for seven years. In that time, she has played in Symphonette, Young Peoples Orchestra, and Youth Chamber Connection. She joined TRYPO because she wanted to join an orchestra outside of school where she would be able to play more challenging pieces. When asked about her favorite TRYPO memory, Katy said, “When I was in a trio as a part of Youth Chamber Connection in 6th grade, there was a time when we were on stage, about to perform, and we were all stressed about messing up the first count in. When it was time, we completely messed up the entrance. After a few seconds of panic, we all looked at each other and laughed together, and the audience soon joined in. We started again, and it was wonderful.” Katy graduated from Shady Side Academy and will be attending Hamilton College this fall. She is currently undecided on her major. Her advice she would like to share with future TRYPO musicians is, “This isn’t particularly music related, but a phrase which has guided me through my high school experience is, “Life is short, but love is old” from a Sibylle Baier song. It’s the people I met that matter most to me now, not the grades I got or the chair I was sitting in.”
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Congrats to all of our Seniors for the 2021-22 season! Your TRYPOfam wishes you all the best in your future endeavors.