meet sonia
Merit Scholar in Vocal Study
Sonia I., a high school junior, came to CSMA nine years ago to take piano lessons. After experimenting with singing through the core curriculum for private music students, however, Sonia talked her mom into letting her try voice, and “discovered” herself in a “jazzier, ‘Broadway’ sort of style that is what I enjoy now.”
Sonia’s vocal talent has since earned her merit scholarships that have helped encourage and support her lessons for the past five years. “Just the fact that I love singing makes me want to practice. Of course, I want to do well and I want to keep the scholarship, but other than that I just love singing and that motivates me!”
All of Sonia’s music education has been at CSMA, and she has developed an especially close relationship with her current instructor. “I have known her for so long by now, and she knows me so well. It makes me feel so comfortable, and you have to be comfortable to sing well,” she reports. “The fact that we have built such a great relationship means that she can sense things without me saying it. So if I mess up, it’s OK. Having that emotional support really helps me out.”
Citing benefits for the entire family, Sonia’s mother, Hedy, notes that studying at CSMA “has enriched her life and our lives so much that I can’t even imagine our life without that at this point.” The teen also firmly believes that music education has helped her achieve other goals. “It boosts confidence at school. I also feel more motivated or inspired to try out for different things because, for music and art, it’s all about trying different things and taking the risk. That extends out to my academic career, I guess.”
One of the things that Sonia most values is being part of a supportive art community at CSMA. “It’s a family kind of feeling when we all come for a concert,” she says. And when she arrives for lessons, she “sees little kids running around, grown-ups walking around, everyone’s talking, and I can really see that it’s an open place. You can tell that anyone can join.”
“I love singing here!”