Violist Marijke Cooper and leading violinist or 'Concert Master' Sarang Roberts are specialists in their field, becoming members of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra, New Zealand Secondary School's Orchestra and then the prestigious New Zealand National Youth Orchestra (which are open to students up to the age of twenty seven, making it highly competitive) defining the unbelievable degree of their talent as excelling musicians and work ethic as young high school students. This term we interviewed the two performers to gain an insight into their amazing passion.
Marijke Cooper, Talented Violist
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Marijke (Ma-ray-ka) and I play the viola. I've been at Burnside all my high school life and have been involved in many musical groups, a few academic ones but I'm not much for sport. I originally auditioned for the Burnside music programme on violin, but I was told to switch to viola, which is advice I will never be able to thank the music teachers enough for. Viola is more a personality type than an instrument.
When did you begin to truly love music and what is your preferred genre?
I was actually watching Sesame Street, remember that show? One of the guest stars of the episode was Yo Yo Ma, an absolutely incredible cellist. Hoot the owl comes on with his saxophone and together they have a little clash of the instruments. At the end Hoot says, ''that's one mellow cello''. From then on, I was hooked on music. Cello ended up being translated to the violin by my three year old mind and a few years later I began to play the violin. As for genre, I'm a sweeping melody kind of person, so I'm always a little partial towards the romantic composers, late Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak are a few of my favourites.
You are part of the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra (NYO) and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Orchestra (NZSSSO) as a principal violist and recently had the honour of having a Masterclass with Julliard and Royal College of Music graduate, Bryony Gibson-Cornish (shown in the images above) Do you wish to pursue a career as a musician?
I would absolutely love to be a musician, being a part of the Christchurch Symphony has been an ambition of mine since I was still playing twinkle twinkle. Many of the players in this orchestra have other jobs, such as teaching. I think that is what I'd love to do.
In your opinion, why do you believe that learning a musical instrument is important to young people today?
There are so many benefits to learning a musical instrument, as well as a huge social side to it. The majority of the people I am friends with today I have met through music and it's such a tight knit community, especially in Christchurch. You know everyone.
Do you think the viola is becoming an increasingly rare instrument to learn among the modern generation?
On the contrary, it is actually becoming more popular! Viola has always been a rare instrument, especially among younger players, It has always been hard to have a small viola, it just wouldn't produce the same sound. Despite this, there have been some amazing advancements and viola is a lot more accessible to younger players. There are four young violists in the junior symphony orchestra this year in fact.
What would be your dream piece of music, venue and audience to play viola to?
Easy, Tchaikovsky-Symphony No. 6 in the Berliner Philharmonie to whoever would love to sit and listen. It is one of the best examples of Tchaikovsky doing what he does best, melodies. Ugh, I could listen to that all day.
If you could leave us with one inspirational nugget of wisdom what would it be?
One of the music teachers told me last year ''Marijke, you should audition for NYO, you won't get in but practicing the auditioning part is great.'' While I look back on that and smirk a little, I completely agree. Audition for everything, even if you don't get in you tried. Every time you audition, you get better at auditioning. Isn't that wonderful?
Sarang Roberts, Skilled Violinist
For those who don't know you, please introduce yourself:
I have been playing violin since the age of seven and the piano since the age of eleven. Currently I am leading three orchestras, the Christchurch Youth Orchestra, and the New Zealand Secondary School's Orchestra. I have been a member of the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra for the last two years, have been accepted this year into the first violin section, was a national finalist in the National Chamber Music Competition last year and have played with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand Opera.
When did you begin to truly love music and what is your preferred genre?
I was introduced to music from a very young age through parental guidance, but it really wasn't until coming to Burnside High School that I began to truly love it. When I started at Burnside I was amazed at the high quality of the opportunities offered to students and being in groups and spending time with other people who had a passion for music definitely enabled me to further develop my love for music. Two teachers who I have worked closely with, Mr. Petch and Ms Renaud, (who also conducts two orchestras I am in), have helped me expand my musical interests and have generally supported me as two brilliant teachers. I am forever grateful for their guidance and their enthusiasm to teach and deepen my musical knowledge, it's honestly amazing. I have to admit, I'm sure no other school could offer as such. Last year I worked with an Australian music educator, Richard Gill, who is such an inspiration not only to me, but to any musician he has worked with. His musical knowledge and his passion for teaching is so powerful, and to see someone like that who is so talented and keen on sharing with others, is truly heart warming. It is an experience I will never forget, and I hope to work with him again in future. In relation to my favourite genre of music, it would have to be classical. I'm not much of a pop or rock person, and definitely prefer listening to a great Mahley Symphony, violin or piano concerto. I love listening to famous musicians on YouTube and people's interpretations or opinions of their music. Everyone interprets music differently. and listening to the many opinions out there is phenomenal. I go to classical concerts as much as I can, and have been to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra several times.
You are part of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Orchestra (NZSSSO) and the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra as a concert master. For those who don't know what type of musician this is please explain it.
Concert Master is the titled position given to the violinist who sits in the first chair of the first violin section, and is basically responsible for leading the orchestra. This position is valuable because it serves as a role model for others around them, and also includes a close relationship with the conductor, helping with the success of the ensemble.
Concert-master is a highly prestigious position among violinists as well as an orchestra, do you wish to pursue music as a career?
I'd love to, as I enjoy performing in front of people and sharing my passion, I will have to see how it goes, but I'll definitely be studying it at university and keeping it up regardless, even if it is only part-time in an orchestra or something similar.
From your experience, what do you believe are the common misconceptions about young musicians or the violin?
A common misconception about musicians is that we have time for nothing and practice all day. That is not true, although we do practice decent amounts, we do love to do other things! Practicing too much is not good for your health and can result in injuries. Musicians love to socialize, and when you are in a national group for example, you meet people from other cities and form close friendships. A good friend of mine currently studies at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington and I only met him less than two years ago! Music does bring people together. A Violin misconception is, well, a lot of people think it's too hard. It may seem like it at first, but once you master the basics, you're good to go! Even if you don't want to learn it seriously, playing it basically is not at all difficult.
In your opinion, why do you believe that learning a musical instrument is important to young people today?
I believe it assists with the developing parts of your brain. Playing an instrument, especially from a young age, helps you with brain coordination. You use your brain a lot with music, especially with the violin. I reckon it's one of the most challenging instruments due to the fact that you have to take into account several things. It takes a lot of concentration and organisation to be a musician, whether it be maintaining a schedule to balance school, the groups you are in and of course practice time. The more advanced you become, the more practice you need as the repertoire becomes more challenging. Even if you don't want to be a serious musician, learning a musical instrument of any kind is fun. You can jam with friends, form groups for fun and play your favourite tunes. It helps with creativity and the feeling of being able to play something is awesome.
If you could give any advice to young, aspiring musicians what would it be?
It is hard road once you get to a certain level, but by organizing your time and managing yourself, it is definitely rewarding. Even with the practice and tiresome days, it is fun and honestly, I can't imagine doing anything else. What separates a good musician from a bad musician is the passion yo have for it. You can play well without passion, but the ones that play better have the passion. As long as you have the motivation to improve and be better, you can achieve anything.
What would be your dream piece of music, venue and audience to play violin to?
My dream piece of music would definitely be to successfully nail the Sibelius Violin Concerto as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, an amazing orchestra which would be a dream to perform with. As for a venue, the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, there are so many to choose from. For the audience, for me personally, a dream would be to perform in from of famous violinists such as Izthak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, Janine Jansen, and I have already done so in front of Anne Akiko Meyers! (Ticked off the bucket list!) I would have loved to perform to some last century violinists such as Jascha Heifetz, although maybe not, he seems a bit scary that one!
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