| Marla
Haring is a multi-instrumentalist high school student in the eleventh
grade in Canada. She participates in Band and String Ensemble at school,
as well as in Ireny, a Celtic rock band that she started with her
friends. Mary Destri of Music in Schools Today e-interviewed Marla.
Music
in Schools Today (MuST):
How old were you when you first started to play music, and what
inspired you to start playing?
Marla:
Music has always played a big role in my family. My mom played piano
throughout her school years until she went to university, my sister
plays cello and guitar, and my Opa lead marching bands in Germany
in the second world war, and I have a cousin who plays in a rock
band that's actually on a cross-Canada tour at the moment. My mom
taught me the basics of piano when I was about 5, and I taught myself
until I was about 12, when my mom decided I was dedicated enough
to get lessons. In grade 7, about a year later, I took up the French
horn for school and took up violin 2 years later at high school.
MuST:
What instruments do you play now, and why did you choose them?
Marla:
Now
i play piano, French horn, and fiddle/violin. I enjoy piano because
my mom played it, but there is such a diverse repretoire for it,
and it provides a basis that makes playing other instruments easier.
I really don't know why I chose French horn...I think it had something
to do with the fact that you had to buy reeds for the other instruments,
whereas for brass you didn't...and French horn looks- AND SOUNDS-
the prettiest of all the brass instruments. As for violin, that
one was easy... I love fiddle music, and violin and fiddle, for
those who don't know, are exactly the same thing.
MuST:
What bands to you play in, and where do you perform?
Marla:
At the moment, I play in my high school Concert Band, high school
strings ensemble, and a Celtic-rock band, Ireny that some friends
and I started up. In the past, I have also played in Junior Concert
Band, as well as the Northern Ontario All-star Band. With Concert
band, we play around the city, and compete in festivals, such as
the Kiwanis Music Festival and the Northern Ontario Music Festival.
We are also playing in Halifax this May. With our strings ensemble,
we have played also across the city and at other schools. With Ireny,
we've played at
various venues across Northern Ontario.
MuST:
Have you ever traveled with bands?
Marla:
Not really, although Concert Band usually goes on a performance
tour each year. This year we are going to Halifax, and last year
we went to Chicago.
MuST:
Which musicians or bands have had the greatest influence
on you?
Marla:
I think all music has something to offer-you just have to listen
for it. That being said, it's very hard for me to pick a favorite
musician or band, as I listen to everything from Great Big Sea to
Fall Out Boy to Yo Yo Ma. Ireny gets a lot of inspiration from folk
musicians, like Great Big Sea and the Chieftains.
MuST:
Have you had a favorite music teacher or mentor along the way?
Marla:
The music teacher at my high school is by far AMAZING! He teaches
both the instrumental and strings courses at my school, and also
conducts Concert Band and the Strings Ensemble. We have won gold
standings in all of the festivals that we have played in, and are
competing at the Provincial Kiwanis festival under his direction.
MuST:
What keeps you motivated through the many hours of dedicated practice?
Marla:
I love music, because it is limitless and allows you to express
yourself. I like knowing that after practicing for hours on whatever
instrument, not only do I feel better, but I can share my music
with others to make their day better, too. I use music to express
myself; for example, if I've had a bad day at school I'd go and
play something loud on piano with lots of big boomy chords. I love
to perform,
whether it's just for myself or for a crowd. Music is my way to
escape from the real world and find peace.
MuST:
What different genres of music do you like to play?
Marla:
This is a tough one... For piano I like a lot of the contemporary
repertoire, but that could change depending on my mood. I prefer
playing Celtic and Cape Breton style fiddling out of the others.
MuST:
Can you tell us about a highlight/favorite performance of
your career so far?
Marla:
I loved playing in the Northern Ontario All Star Band this year.
It was the first time I had ever played with other horn players
and started to learn the double horn. We played some of the most
amazing repertoire, and it was just so amazing to play with so many
other people who love what they're doing.
MuST:
Why do you think that music education is important in schools?
Marla:
Like all the arts, music allows us to express ourselves when words
aren't enough. It has been proven that music makes you smarter,
and after thinking of the music department at school, I think it's
true. It's like a safe haven to get away from my other classes.
You can't do math and English and science all day and still possibly
think straight; you need something like music to take what you've
learned in all those classes and put it together, be creative and
be yourself.
Music
can also bring you together with people from other schools who share
the same passion with you. Given my music experience, I would never
change it for the world and don't know how I would survive high
school without a music program.
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