(no subject)
What got you so interested in (classical) music? Do parents play music, or did you grow up listening to classical music a lot?
My parents aren’t that musical at all, but they listened to the radio all the time, and I think I might have picked up my love of music that way. Until I started listening to a lot of Classical music around the age of 10 or so, we’d listen to Oldies, jazz… whatever was playing at the time and what my parents had a copy of. I think it’s surprising that I chose Classical music of all things, now that I think of it. Besides Bach and some Mozart, I really wasn’t surrounded all that much by classical music.
What was the first instrument you wanted to play, and what is your favorite?
Well, my first instrument was the piano; we had one in our living room, and I just started playing it. I also started the violin when I was little, which is a funny story: because I’m left-handed, and because I wanted to have a head-start the summer before fifth grade, I thought that left-handed people played the violin the other way around (with the right hand fingering things and the left hand using the bow), so I switched the chin rest and everything around and started learning how to play backwards, Jimi Henrix-style… Eventually I learned otherwise, though.
What got you interested in composing your own music?
I just started making things up. No long story here; music has always been a part of my life. It just seemed to be the next logical progression: learn an instrument, play music, write your own music.
What things do you like to do besides music-related stuff?
Umm… Well, this year I’m a co-editor of Imago (along with Jane Jiang), which probably tells you that I really enjoy reading and writing.
What is your favorite piece?
It depends; if you’re talking classical music, I’d have to say it’s an even split between Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” and Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians.” Otherwise, in the realm of less classically oriented music, Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.”
Why do you like contemporary music so much, instead of traditional Beethoven, Brahms, etc.?
Don’t get me wrong: I still love Beethoven and Brahms as much as anyone else. My interest in contemporary music is probably because I can identify with it more: it’s fresh and lively (for the most part), and is all about discovering new ideas and ways of thinking about music.
What are your aspirations - musical and non-musical - for your future? (who knows - maybe you want to become a pediatrician or a lawyer?)
No, no law or business degree for me! I’ve applied to music conservatories, and am pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree with the eventual goal of being a “real” composer working in the field, as it were. However, I am very interested in creative writing, so I may pursue that down the road. You never know!
Where do you you see yourself in ten years, and doing what?
I have no idea where, but hopefully in ten years I’ll be getting my doctorate (it’s a goal of mine that I hope to do), and actively composing for different ensembles (symphonies, chamber music, etc.) like I said before.
What is something most people don't know about you?
I rap - no, just kidding. I would venture to guess that most people don’t know that I’m also really a big fan of ballet and modern dance. (I don’t dance, of course!) I’m very interested in collaborating with choreographers, i.e. writing music for them to choreograph to.
How long does it normally take you to compose a piece? How often do you compose?
How long it takes really depends on the length the composition is supposed to be, how big of an ensemble I’m writing for, and how close to the deadline it is! I generally am composing every day: at the very least, I’ll write down little snippets of ideas or editing a piece I’m working on. Other times, I’ll compose for hours on end. In that kind of case, the process doesn’t take very long - a couple weeks.
What instruments do you play, and for how long?
I play the piano, the viola and the violin, although I haven’t taken lessons on the violin for quite some time. I started the piano when I was seven, and the violin when I was about eleven or twelve. At the beginning of my freshman year at Lakeside, the orchestra didn’t have a single viola, and so I volunteered to switch instruments. I’ve been playing the viola since then, and I love it.
If you could meet one historical figure, who would you meet?
He’s not dead yet, so I guess I could conceivably still meet him: Wes Anderson, mastermind and director of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic, my favorite two movies to date. If you haven’t seen them, DO IT. Simply amazing!
For a five year old who is starting to become interested in classical music, what would you say to him/her?
If you enjoy music, then be musical: pick an instrument you like and play it. (There isn’t a whole lot that you want to pile on a five year old, so I think… that’s probably what I would say.)
What kind of music, if any, do you enjoy listening to besides classical?
I love the Garden State soundtrack! Radiohead and a few other bands are probably the only things I listen to outside of classical music… I know, I’m a geek.
Who is your favorite composer?
STRAVINSKY!!! Amazing composer in every right, although I don’t particularly like his very last compositions. Ugly things, actually - but well-crafted, to the last note. (One exception: his piece Agon, which was a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine, is one of my favorite of his pieces and a very beautiful work.)
Imagine that music didn't exist - what do you think your passion would be? visual art? the maths/sciences?
I don’t know if I would have a passion for anything else; almost every single real interest I have is derived from my love for music. So, if I had to really choose another passion, it would probably be architecture, because architecture to me is like music in space rather than in time. (I know it’s cheesy, but if you think about it, it’s a pretty fun concept.) More generally, I could be passionate about anything with a creative component to it. I guess that’s just my thing.