Falcon Focus: Freshman artiste dabbles in piano and poetry

If you pass the Thermond Drama Center during breaks or lunches, you may be able to hear the faint resonation of classical piano — everything from Chopin and Beethoven to Joplin and Gershwin.

Lauded by the drama department as a uniquely creative soul, freshman Cheryl Wang is the face behind this stunning repertoire, captivating many of her fellow students with her knack for the arts.

Having played the instrument from the age of 2, Wang is now able to learn complex music, even within the crowded and noisy drama room. She discovered the piano in the Thermond Drama Center and has been learning to perform songs for plays since last fall’s “Pride and Prejudice.”

“[Piano] makes me forget everything I’m supposed to be doing,” Wang said.

Wang’s artistic abilities, however, extend beyond music and drama and into creative writing. She started a poetry blog called “Once I Dreamed of Fire” last November and currently has 10 poems published on her website.

“I've always enjoyed creative writing for a variety of reasons, but I started the blog because I wanted something to do,” Wang said. “I looked up some of my old poems and decided to post a few for the sake of it, and eventually I began writing poems for fun.”

To Wang, finding inspiration and writing her thoughts down often comes easily.

“I'm inspired by nature and harmonious scenes, although sometimes I like to compose poems by thinking of philosophical things and why we as humans do as we do,” Wang said. “To put it in perspective, it's sort of like looking at the world with HD lenses and just writing what you see.”

Drawing from her own personal experiences and emotions allows Wang to create poetry that resonates with many people. One of her favorite poems on her blog is called “Last Words,” written during a deeply emotional time for her.

“You see/ life is like a dream,” writes Wang. “Neither love nor/ duty/ could drive me/ to stay with you, friend.”

This blank verse poem is about a man who is about to commit suicide and is trying to convince his friend to do the same.

Wang said that because Mandarin was her first language, it was initially difficult for her to be social or converse normally in English. However, writing her observations and thoughts down has allowed her to express herself in ways she couldn’t have before.

Even though Wang is more on the reserved side in terms of her personality, she is able to make herself active in the drama department as she participated in “Pride and Prejudice” and will be in the upcoming musical. Simultaneously, her confidence is built on with her passion for writing, doodling and reading.

“I like to put a lot of my thoughts into written words instead of speaking them out loud,” Wang said. “Poetry has no restrictions, and I think that basically anyone can enjoy it if they try.”

You can visit her blog at: http://onceidreamedoffire.weebly.com/