Senior turns passion for violin into career

April 3, 2008 — by Kirstie Lee and Brian Tsai

Not many people know what they want to do when they grow up. Some even have a hard time choosing their careers when they’re adults. But for senior Jennifer Wey, Wey knew that she had a strong future with the violin ever since age 3.

Not many people know what they want to do when they grow up. Some even have a hard time choosing their careers when they’re adults. But for senior Jennifer Wey, Wey knew that she had a strong future with the violin ever since age 3.

“I guess when I was younger, it was pretty easy for me, so it came naturally to me when I was younger,” said Wey. “Now, it’s more satisfying or fulfilling than any other thing that I do.”

Wey’s fateful encounter with the violin occurred when her parents introduced her to many different types of activities.

“My parents were trying to expose me to a lot of different things, so I’d do all sorts of things, like gymnastics, tennis, that kind of stuff,” said Wey.
However, only the violin stuck: violin.

Now, Wey is an active member of the San Francisco Youth Orchestra, requiring her to travel to San Francisco every weekend. Wey practices on average of three or four hours a day, depending on her busy schedule consisting of various other commitments such as college applications and homework. Once in a while, she performs at big competitions and events.

“Last year during summer camp, I played at Carnegie Hall with my orchestra,” said Wey. “We had an April gala in New York and we were invited to play at Carnegie Hall. It was pretty exciting.”

Although many may think that such a commitment would take up too much time, Wey disagrees.

“There’s this general stereotype that if you play an instrument, you have to practice all day, but I think that if you manage your time well, everything should be fine,” said Wey.

Wey has decided to play violin professionally, taking less rigorous classes at Saratoga in order to focus more on violin. Wey has made a portfolio for college applications, recording her best pieces in attempts to get into a good music college on the East Coast.

Wey encourages other aspiring musicians to pursue their dreams and applauds even a simple love for music.

“For people who aren’t sure if they want to go into music or if they want to stay with academics, I’d say you should definitely do it because you will regret it if you don’t.” said Wey. “For people who just do it for fun, just make sure your ultimate goal is enjoying yourself, not striving for perfection. It’s just always for enjoyment, not hard work.”

The big, musical part of Wey’s life has given her extraordinary opportunities and she feels lucky to have experienced them.

“I learn as much as I can through music, and ultimately share everything I have with other people through music,” said Wey. “It’s a really great way to discover yourself and meet a lot of new people that you would never expect to meet.”

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