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 Posté le: Jeu Sep 26, 2013 4:26 pm Sujet du message: Violinist must choose between music and science |
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{Violinist must choose between music and science}
Photos View gallery zoom Featured VideoClose More Video Laptops in the classroom can hinder grades: Study A day at daycare Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies Outdoor Classroom Unlike many of her teenage friends, Teresa Wang isn’t a fan of K-Pop boy bands.The 17-year-old would rather listen to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. Her ear, fine-tuned after a dozen years of playing classical violin, finds it “jarring” to listen to pop music.She has a passion for classical music, but just how deep that passion runs will be put to the test this year as the Grade 12 student decides what to study after graduating from Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Will it be music or science?Teresa dreams of a career in music, but the grim reality is that being a musician can be “so difficult” and “most people don’t get paid that much.” If she chooses science, the A student suspects she’ll end up in medical school. She prefers the idea of picking up a violin bow to a stethoscope, but has long had the feeling that becoming a doctor is what’s “expected of me.” It’s a daunting decision — but, right now, she says music is at the top of her chart.Related:16-year-old working towards his NBA dream“It’s just so much fun (playing violin) because you’re playing this amazing music and you’re sharing this with people,[url=http://www.michael-korshandbags-outlet.org]Michael Kors Outlet[/url],” says the accomplished musician, who is a member of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and spent part of the summer touring with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYOC). But being an artist comes with “ups and downs,” she says.“Sometimes you just feel like everything is really crappy because you can’t play and there are so many great people out there who are so much better.”Yet then come those magical moments — as was the case this summer when she toured with the NYOC and they performed Gustav Mahler’s “Ninth Symphony.”“It was a really emotional experience,” recalls Teresa of playing the 90-minute opus. “At the end of the concert, all of us were, like, crying together backstage. . . . There are these moments in music that make me love it and want to do it forever.”Also adding to this year’s challenges is that Teresa will have to audition for schools, apply for scholarships and decide whether to stay in Canada or go to the United States.Her plan is to cast a wide net and apply to several schools. Ultimately, her decision will depend on where she’s accepted and whether she’s awarded scholarships. If she doesn’t like her options she will take a year off or even return to high school for a fifth year.If she pursues science she will likely stay in Toronto or close to home. The idea of becoming a doctor, Teresa says, has long been instilled in her, by friends, family and society.“A lot of it is built up from when I was younger,” she says. “I think there’s some residue — an idea that that’s what I should do. That it’s expected of me. But I don’t know.”If she decides on music studies, she intends to apply to world-renowned schools south of the border,[url=http://www.michael-korshandbags-outlet.org]Michael Kors Handbags[/url], such as The Juilliard School in New York City, The Colburn School in Los Angeles and Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She’ll also consider McGill University, University of Toronto and University of Ottawa. “It’s really overwhelming,” she says about trying to sort out what to do and where to go. Teresa’s parents say they are leaving the decision up to her and will support whatever she chooses. But, she notes: “I’m sure they’d love it if I became a doctor.”For advice, she will turn to her peers at The Royal Conservatory, where she has studied violin since age 10. And she will seek the opinion of teacher Marie Bérard, who supports Teresa pursuing musical studies and thinks her chances of success, if she fully embraces the musical path, are very high.“I knew when I first heard her at the age of 10 or 11 that she had a great deal of talent, but now I also know that she has a thick enough hide to make it in the music business.”“My task as a teacher is to inspire her and make her believe in her own potential,” says Bérard, who also works as concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and teaches at the University of Toronto’s violin faculty. “She has a lot of maturity and self-awareness, which makes it more difficult for her to choose the right path than it would be for a less thoughtful student.” Ever since Teresa was a pint-sized player, teachers have recognized her talent. She first began playing at age 5 when her father, a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, suggested she play the same instrument as the famed fictional detective. She was a natural and by age 6 her then-music teacher encouraged her to start competing.Those early years of playing the violin were largely done at the insistence of her parents. But at age 10, when she started classes at the conservatory, she became hooked. Her passion intensified over the years, despite a rigorous regimen that required juggling the demands of regular school and weekend music classes — plus, two to three hours of daily practice. Her dream, she says, is to become a soloist who tours the world and plays with orchestras — “the dream of many musicians.” But, she hastens to add, “Realistically,[url=http://www.michael-korshandbags-outlet.org]Michael Kors Handbags Outlet[/url], it would be nice to join an orchestra,[url=http://www.michael-korshandbags-outlet.org]michael kors canada[/url], play in a chamber group professionally and become a teacher.”Teresa’s story is the second in a four-part series about students at a crossroads. The Star will follow up with our students throughout the school year.
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