Being honest, I must accredit most of my achievements in music to Ms. Caitlin, as she’s my biggest musical inspiration and musical mentor to this day. She not only taught me everything I know as a violinist, but also instilled in me a deep love for music and those who play it.
MSO: Being named concertmaster is an amazing achievement! Could you please tell us more about your history with the Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), and how you became concertmaster?
RP: Last May, MYSO’s conductor Les Marsden reached out and asked me if I was interested in the role of acting concertmaster while the current concertmaster was out of state for work. I felt intimidated to be faced with a “real” orchestra at first, but I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so I accepted the invitation. When the concertmaster’s move became permanent, I was offered the chance to make my role permanent. I feel very privileged to play alongside the talented, experienced members who I respect and learn so much from.
MSO: What are the differences you’ve experienced between performing with your high school orchestras & bands, Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra?
RP: Over my 12 years of being a part of the music community and the performing arts, I have played alongside many different groups and interacted with many different types of people. That’s my favorite part of my musical variety. Across my school programs, my district orchestra, MSYO, and MYSO, I’ve been challenged in multiple ways and have needed to adapt to different situations and people in order to make the best music possible.
For example, my school programs tend to perform simpler music than my orchestral groups, but are much more competitive due to the nature of band reviews and CMEA competitions. I would consider MYSO my greatest challenge, as we not only play very difficult music, but it is also a group of mostly adults, which adds to the pressure of being concertmaster. Nonetheless, across all of my groups there is a level of respect and camaraderie maintained that is unlike any other.