Micayla in Concert: flute, piccolo, voice | a SONOSYNTHESIS presentation

329 Riverside Avenue,Charlottesville VA 22902

14 May, 2022

Description

Everyone deserves to chase their dreams, and Micayla has put in the work. Thank you for supporting her on her journey to Interlochen! Micayla Rawling is a multi-talented, determined musician paving her own way on the path of her dreams. Following in her own footsteps after she earned the money to purchase her beautiful flute by busking on the downtown mall, she is performing this concert to raise funds to help cover her tuition for the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy! Micayla will be performing music on piccolo, flute, and voice joined by her private teacher, Cari Shipp (flute), and her school music teacher, Daniel Warren (piano). Program includes works by Vivaldi, Delibes, Reinecke, Gounod, as well as some jazz and broadway favorites. Seating is limited, so to ensure you have a seat at the concert please purchase your ticket here! Additional donations will be gratefully accepted at the concert or beforehand through Venmo: @flute22 or PayPal (email Herb Rawling at [email protected] to confirm). Read Micayla’s story in her own words: This performance tells a story; one of struggle, growth, and ambition. I began my studies on piccolo, an unusual start, and I used that instrument to earn tips for my flute, which I purchased 6 years later. In my early years of lessons I was very nervous to perform live, but through great encouragement from others in performing live at the Downtown Mall, on to Ithaca College, and now Interlochen Arts Academy, it has compelled me to share this gift with you tonight. My name is Micayla Rawling and I am a high school junior at The Covenant School in Charlottesville, Virginia. I have studied piccolo for 9 years, flute for 3 years, and voice for 4 years. Due to my musical development and rapid increased interest in seriously pursuing music in recent years, Interlochen was recommended to me by several teachers and alumni. I view Interlochen as a critical step in my future, and believe it will further my development as not only a musician, but a person. Stepping out of my comfort zone, exploring new relationships, and learning more about the world of art will aid me in pursuing music, and becoming a stronger musician. Though I have narrowed my focus on music in the last 9 years, music has been a major part of my life since I was a child. My parents have shared stories of me asking for “more Bach” when I was only about 2 years old, and have involved me in programs such as “Mainly Music” and “Music and Movement” at Trinity Presbyterian Church. I have had great motivation to continue pursuing my music in the midst of financial struggle, and decided to busk (perform music for tips) on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall in order to buy my flute, a Yamaha-561 (note from teacher: this is an exquisite instrument! Not a standard student model!). My first year at Covenant as a 7th grader, 4 years after I started studying the piccolo, was my first opportunity to play in an ensemble. I was amazed by the experience of playing in a band and having students around me with a common interest and talent. Unfortunately, this awe quickly turned into outgrowing a curriculum and struggling to relate to people who did not intend to study their art beyond high school. Nevertheless, I persisted and pushed myself to audition for programs outside of my school, such as: District Band, All Virginia Band, Evans Orchestra, Flute Ensemble, and Youth Orchestra. My flute teacher, Cari Shipp, invited me to her advanced chamber ensembles where I worked with students several years older than me. She also invited me on multiple occasions to perform with her in professional settings. Through these programs and experiences, my development as a musician grew much stronger, as I was around students who clearly had a passion for music, and possessed the potential to pursue it later in life. Following my 10th grade year, in the summer of 2021, I was accepted to the Ithaca Summer Music Academy. This 2 week summer program in the beautiful Ithaca, New York changed my life; it helped me realize that music was not only a passion, but my career goal. The days at Ithaca were intense, averaging 4-5 hours of playing each day and the rest including music theory, electives, and master classes. Although you were not always playing your instrument, there was always something music related happening. As soon as my parents picked me up, they knew something inside me had changed drastically in that short 2 weeks. Shortly after, my Dad suggested I apply to Interlochen, a school similar to the Ithaca summer camp, though even more intense. After a beautiful fall visit to the northern Michigan campus, I could only imagine a future where I had studied and lived in this place. Two months of waiting later, I learned I had been accepted. At Interlochen I will be taking very few standard high school classes, and instead, sitting in seminar style academic classes. I will be practicing for hours each day, participating in electives, concerts, chamber groups, orchestra, band, and I will be able to pursue jazz. The flute teacher at Interlochen, Nancy Stagnitta, is trained in both of my interests: classical music and jazz. It is uncommon to find a flute teacher as passionate as I am for both genres of music, and upon meeting her, I knew Interlochen was a necessary step in my growth as a musician. Through Interlochen’s unique, intense curriculum, I know I will rapidly grow with my music, and it is a true, fulfilling investment for my life. Interlochen creates an environment of intensity with a direct focus on your own art form. Not only will I be encouraged by faculty, but students as well. Having classmates surround me who have similar interests and goals is a great encouragement and motivator to continue in the rigor of musical study. I find the mutual accountability of colleagues to be a great motivator. I also want to pay special attention to both of the teachers aiding me in this performance, Cari Shipp, Daniel Warren, and Jerry King. Cari has been my private teacher for the last 9 years, and Mr. Warren and Mr. King have been my in-school teachers for 4 years. They all have taught me so much; Cari with classical music, Mr. Warren with group playing and jazz, and Mr. King with singing. Cari did an excellent job of organizing this concert, and I will miss all three teachers when I head to Interlochen next year. Thank you for supporting me by attending this performance and for any further donations for my tuition at Interlochen. Without community, I wouldn’t be pursuing my dreams in this prestigious way and I am grateful you are part of mine.