Creating deep emotions for some, music can shape who we are. Music can have the power to bring people together. Whether it’s through playing an instrument, singing or just listening to music on the bus ride to school, music can move us in ways nothing else can.
Beatrix Uhle is a sophomore in CHS’s jazz program and a cellist in Pioneer High School’s Symphony Orchestra. Uhle is always playing and listening to music. She recalls 8th grade when she played at All-State, a competitive music program. Although it was intense and the rehearsals were long, Uhle felt at home in a way she hadn’t felt before.
“It was my first time playing in a truly good orchestra,” Uhle said. “It felt artful.”
Uhle finds that music brings her happiness no matter the genre. It doesn’t matter if she’s playing a classical or jazz piece or listening to pop music in her headphones. This happiness is partially why music is so important and powerful to her.
Similar to Uhle, Mary Cate Baker, a CHS sophomore, also discovered a passion for music. She has attended numerous concerts, including Gracie Abrams, Beyoncé and Harry Styles. She finds that sharing her love of music with friends by going to concerts makes them all the more exciting. Baker’s first concert, Harry Styles, was a fundamental moment for discovering her passion for music, something that is now an integral part of her life.
Freshman Sadie Palay is split-enrolled at Pioneer for band. Last summer, she went to band camp at Interlochen and bonded with her fellow bandmates through music. Spending a week solely to play music not only improved Palay’s flute skills but also created a shared experience between students that she’ll never forget. Palay also enjoys playing in the pit orchestra for musicals such as Newsies, a show Pioneer Theater Guild put on earlier this year.
“At the end, everyone gets super close together,” Palay said. “It’s not being directly on stage, but you’re still a big part of the community.”
Playing the flute, Palay finds it helpful to deal with emotions and express herself through music; it’s something she’s grown to appreciate.
Helio Fong, a junior at CHS, has been playing piano for five years. He first joined jazz when he came to CHS to fulfill his art credit. However, because the environment was so supportive, he soon found himself putting much more time into music than he had originally planned. Fong believes the first two years were the hardest, as he was still beginning to learn the structure, and everything felt new and confusing. By sticking with the class, he has learned and grown as a musician.
“It’s not just a collection of random noises,” Fong said. “It’s got thought and it’s got emotion and it’s got heart. Music can make you feel emotions. Emotions that maybe you never knew you could feel or have.” Fong has made so many opportunities from jazz, including recently visiting Western Michigan University with other students for an invitational competition.
He finds all forms of music to be powerful, especially works by Wayne Shorter, a jazz saxophonist. Shorter is one of Fong’s favorite composers because of his special and unique construction of songs. He describes the first time he heard a piece of Shorter’s as one of the most powerful, impactful moments of music in his life.
“I can’t imagine life without it [music],” said Jack Wagner, the jazz teacher at CHS. “It connects all kinds of feelings and emotions in my life and everyone else’s. But it also has a way of conjuring up feelings that nothing else can. I can’t imagine even one day without it. Even if I was on a desert island, I’d be singing and whistling and tapping away. To me, it’s pretty much central to life.”
Wagner finds that live performances tend to hit the hardest. He remembers watching orchestras, jazz shows and even rock concerts as a kid.
“That stuff meant an awful lot to me,” Wagner shared. “Those are the highlights that when I think back, really hit home.”
Wagner has been leading the jazz music program at CHS since 2008. He teaches music by first learning the techniques of how certain emotions and feelings come out when playing. He then is able to share it with others and help lead them along on their musical journeys.
“It’s this way of hitting home that no other art form seems to be able to do in that specific way,” Wagner said. “Music has brought countless different emotions to the table, and I love that.”
Seeing artists in concert, especially with people who enjoy them together, can be so impactful and maybe even life-changing. The community some find through music can support and uplift them. It gives people a way to express themselves in an environment where the love and dedication to music is shared.
