I am a rising high school sophomore at Los Altos High School. I am a clarinet player and a singer. I have been playing clarinet in various school bands for 5 years. I also started a club for dedicated musicians to get more performing opportunities called the Chamber Symphony Orchestra that performs at festivals, both at school and in the community. I love playing pop music, music from movies, and classical music.

Outside of music, I am a competitive swimmer. I swim for the Los Altos Mountain View Aquatics Club (LAMVAC) year-round. In my free time, I love to read, hang out with my friends, and watch movies. One of my favorite books is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I have a younger brother and a bunny. My family and I love to travel. My favorite place that we have traveled to is Santorini!

Music unites people. I have seen the power of music personally at huge concerts, like the Eras Tour in Portugal, or at lunch time in elementary school, where people immediately became happier when music began to play. This unison creates powerful connections that transcend the boundaries of social groups, grade level, background, and more. My goal is to help everyone experience this feeling of connection through music. I will help spread information about PSO to a wider audience, allowing more people to experience the joy and magic of live music.

PSO offers the community a rare opportunity to experience live music performed by talented musicians. These experiences are instrumental in unifying people in the community through music. Concertgoers and musicians alike can become a part of the welcoming and talented community that is PSO.

For me, PSO gives me the chance to be more immersed in the professional music world. Getting to meet professional musicians is an incredible experience that high schoolers don’t often get. Being a part of PSO also allows me to be a part of a bigger community of music-loving people. For high schoolers who are passionate about music, opportunities are often limited to competitive orchestras like San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and California Youth Symphony. This creates an atmosphere of rivalry instead of camaraderie. At PSO, the community is welcoming and amicable, but they still perform high level music. This fosters the sense of unity that music is meant to inspire.

The relevance of classical music in today’s world is an ongoing debate. Some argue that classical music is dead, as it is perceived as inaccessible and lacking representation. However, others argue it is still relevant for its emotional depth and complexity. Personally, I believe classical music is underappreciated. Classical music is still an important genre of music that conveys meaning and emotion without lyrics. Today, many artists like Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, and Maroon 5 have used classical music as inspiration for their songs. However, many people don’t realize how prevalent and inspirational classical music is.

My personal vision for classical music is that it is made more accessible to the general public, especially the younger generations. Classical music should not be considered dead. It is the basis for many modern forms of music, in addition to music as a subject of study. Many people do not realize how influential classical music is. There is a perception of elitism that surrounds classical music. This prevents people from understanding the true nature of classical music. People, especially those who are younger, largely view classical music as stuffy and outdated. Making classical music more accessible to people would help debunk this idea. This would allow more people to appreciate classical music.

In the long term, classical music could be modernized slightly. Although classical pieces will always be a staple in the musical world, the possibility of cross-genre collaborations could be interesting. Using classical music in pop pieces could create new music that would unite both the younger and older generations. It would bring classical music to the younger generations, and give older generations modern versions of classic pieces. I think modernizing classical music a little bit would help keep classical music alive and allow more people to appreciate the benefits of classical music.

Overall, classical music has been present throughout history and will never truly be dead. It is prevalent across music today. In the future, modernization of classical music through cross-genre collaborations or other methods of weaving classical music into modern songs could be an interesting aspect of music to explore. I think it would allow true classical music to be more appreciated, which I hope will happen in the future. With greater accessibility and a few modern innovations, classical music could not only survive but thrive in the future.