Mastery of Sound and Silence
When Vi (rhymes with “pie”) strikes a timpani or rings a gong, the resounding tones are the result of years of fine-tuning and patience. Vi has loved orchestral music since an early age, often listening to classical music while studying. But it wasn’t until her band teacher—MYS’s very own Mr. Ellison—encouraged her to audition last winter that she experienced orchestral music firsthand. Her motivations for joining MYS were inspired but also strategic: “We had a lot of percussionists in the middle school band,” Vi explains. Knowing that orchestral percussion sections are usually smaller, she thought, “It would be nice to not have to fight for instruments!”
Being an orchestral percussionist requires an array of skills—some of which make no sound at all. Without hesitation, Vi admits that counting rests is the biggest challenge. She is meticulous about understanding how her part fits in with the rest of the orchestra. “I listen to the piece and write in what happens during the rests and what happens right before my part.” Patience, Vi says, is her greatest asset as a percussionist. “I think this is two things: waiting to come in, and also, not rushing.” She is also highly focused and attentive, placing her trust in (and her eyes on) the conductor for tempo changes and entrances, knowing she can always count on a cue for “crash cymbals . . . definitely!”
Another unique challenge is adapting to variations between instruments at different locations. She remembers a nerve-wracking moment at an honor band while playing an unfamiliar set of bells. “I had a piece where I had to play both timpani and bells, so I was moving the bells close to the timpani. I didn’t know that the bars weren’t attached. It slipped and they all fell.” Fortunately, the noisy mishap occurred between pieces and an adult percussionist helped her quickly reassemble the instrument. The audience was gracious too: “I didn’t even hear any laughter,” she recalls, relieved.
Vi is a percussionist in the MYS Philharmonic Orchestra and a 9th grader at Edina High School. She is a percussion student of David Thomas.
