Instrumental Kids
Photography: Mark Maziarz
Park City has long been home to many talented musicians. The area itself seems to instill a sense of the muse at work. And nowhere is this better understood than by the astounding number of talented student musicians.
Rebecca Suelzle, the orchestra, band and co-chair choir teacher at Ecker Hill International Middle School, attributes this phenomenon to the fact that Park City parents give their kids opportunities to explore different interests and discover their own potential. “The students gain more self-confidence,” she says, “and in turn, these kids are able to discover their talents.” The Park City School District’s music program is one that helps direct and focus students’ options. Beginning in fifth grade, all students are required to participate in band, orchestra or choir. Suelzle’s experience has been that “the kids are so excited they start to think about [which] instrument [they’ll play] early on. They surprise themselves by how quickly they progress. It’s fun to see the lights go on.”
Some students, like recent Park City High School graduate Emily Wheaton, take it all the way, progressing from fifth grade through high school without skipping a beat. Wheaton is on an academic and music scholarship this year at the University of Denver, but Suelzle remembers when Wheaton was just a newcomer to the cello.
“Emily Wheaton started in the program when I got here, six years ago. That whole group [of students] was really phenomenal. It is important to have people in your program that can show [other students] what is possible, like ‘hey, you can do this, too,’” says Suelzle. Wheaton also plays jazz bass, and was selected during her senior year of high school for the Park City All-Star Combo.
The All-Star Combo and Crescent Super Band are part of the Park City Jazz Foundation programs. Other youth-oriented music programs like the chamber orchestra, high school jazz band and more help to promote and develop young musicians. According to Kris Severson, executive director of the Park City Jazz Foundation, “Our education programs have grown substantially through the last few years.” And, as a result, he says, the “level of performance is really quite high. Most of the kids that make it to the all-star band [eventually] make it on a professional level of some sort.”
But it takes more than education and talent to succeed musically. Call it passion, love or any combination thereof — but no matter the age or ability — the ‘muse,’ in all its fiery glory, is what propels these young musicians on.
Wheaton remembers, “When I was little I begged my mom to get me piano lessons. There was something there that kept me coming back.” But it wasn’t until she grew older, and more proficient on her instruments, that she understood the power of music in her life.
“You always have those moments where you come home and say, ‘That’s why I want to be a musician. That’s why I want to keep doing this.’ Sitting in the middle of that is a feeling all its own.”
Of course, she’s not alone. Sophie Silverstone, a ninth grader at Treasure Mountain International School, says, “I like getting lost in the music. I like the challenge [of it]. You do have to practice a lot and there’s a phase at the beginning when you’re not that good. But if you stick with it — if you love it — you will get better and it will be worth it.”
Silverstone’s primary passion is the violin, which she has been playing since age 6, but she also plays the piano and trumpet frequently, in addition to the clarinet and saxophone. She is currently a member of the Utah Youth Symphony, which she auditioned for, and an avid attendee of the Interlochen School of Music in Michigan the last three summers.
As Silverstone reveals, though, a love of music is tempered with the ability to be disciplined and committed to practice. Grant Sanderson, an eighth grader at Treasure Mountain, agrees.
“I am definitely passionate about playing, but it’s more the dedication [that counts]. As long as you really enjoy it and are willing to practice, that’s what it takes.” And the young violinist, or rather, “fiddler,” should know. The up-and-coming phenom has made an impression on the middle school music scene with just such dedication. “It came pretty naturally and the fact that I enjoyed practicing helped a lot. I practice about five hours a week or so,” says Sanderson.
At the end of the day, though, after practice and passion have played themselves out, the fact remains that “Park City is a huge hot bed of talent,” says Caleb Chapman, director of The Music School, a Salt Lake City-based organization that works with the Jazz Foundation’s music programs.
And that, says Suelzle, makes it “hard to single out any one [student].”
But really, there’s no need. “All these [students] are finding a groove, and it’s pretty special,” says Severson.
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