With the school year coming to a close, we wanted to shine a spotlight on our amazing seniors. Thank you for letting us be a part of your musical journey, good luck with your future endeavors!
Teddy Ames, violin student of Karl Orvik, just graduated from Arlington High School. In the fall he’ll be heading off to American University in Washington D.C. where he plans to study political science and chemistry/materials sciences.
Looking back at his time learning violin, Teddy and his family shared, “Teddy has played violin since second grade and joined Powers School in the fall of 2023, following his long-time teacher Karl Orvik. From his time at Powers School, Teddy’s favorite memories revolve around his instructors’ attitudes toward music and the individual expression he’s learned to affect in his playing.”
Before ending their violin journey, Karl reflected on their time together saying, “I’m so proud of Teddy, and excited for him to start the next chapter of his life in Washington D.C.! I like to think of Teddy’s violin journey as similar to watching the second hand of a clock, and how imperceptible the movement can be until you realize that minutes have gone by and the time has completely changed! Over the 6 years that we’ve worked together, Teddy has steadily improved both in his playing and in his attitude toward playing and performing, yet all the while maintaining a positive demeanor and quiet dedication toward his work. Congrats Teddy!”
As for his future with his instrument, Teddy says “Violin, with a chamber music twist, will continue to play a part in my life either in or out of school, and I look forward to where this will take my musical career.”
Scarlett Shi cello student and Belmont High School graduate, is excited to be attending Northeastern University this fall, where she will pursue a degree in Health Sciences.
Over the past three years, Scarlett has been a dedicated student at Powers Music School, saying that she “finds immense joy and inspiration in her lessons, particularly with Dr. Hyun Min Lee.” Sharing with us that “throughout her time at Powers, she has not only honed her musical skills but also developed a deep appreciation for the therapeutic power of music.” Looking towards her future at Northeastern, she “is eager to integrate her passion for music with her future career in health sciences, aiming to make a positive impact on the well-being of others.”
Good luck Scarlett, we can’t wait to see what you accomplish!
Piano student Andre Sanderson is off to Clark University this fall to study video game design after graduating from Belmont High School this spring.
Andre shared that he plans to keep music in his life in college, imagining how he can incorporate the piano into the musical score of the games he designs. He has carried this combined love of music and pop culture with him throughout his musical journey, sharing his favorite Powers memory with us of playing a music piece from the Star Wars movie at his first piano recital with Shirley.
His family has all loved their time with Shirley, saying “Ms Shirley is absolutely amazing and I am so thankful Andre got to learn music from her. He enjoyed her class a lot. I secretly wish we met her sooner when he was younger.”
His teacher, Shirley Liu, reminisced on their time together with us saying “Andre loves music and has tried his best to practice piano as much as he can despite his busy academic school works. Wishing Andre all the best for the next chapter of his college life and hope he can keep playing piano!”
Along with studying guitar at Powers since the second grade, Teo Sadowski has just graduated from NuVu Innovation School in Cambridge, MA, and is now off to IAAD in Turin, Italy to study transportation design. Teo’s parents said about his new path: “Teo’s artistic abilities will be put to the test but we know he’s up for it.”
They also wanted to share some memories with us, saying, “We also wanted to congratulate Teo on how strong a classical guitar performer he has become. He has been playing classical guitar at Powers Music School since the 2nd grade and we have many fond memories of his recitals and improvement over the years. We are very proud of the work he has put in, the dedication to his practice, and the results we all have seen.”
Teo’s teacher Berit Strong reminisced with us about their time together saying, “Teo was truly a pleasure to teach. He is sensitive, observant, and smart. We worked on technique for a more beautiful tone and a fuller sound. He was a joy to teach and I will miss him next fall!”
