极速六合彩历史开奖记录

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Born to Play: Student Spotlight on Samuel Gaytan

It took Samuel Gaytan鈥檚 mom a while to figure it out. Her son, only a toddler at the time, had watched the Nuttin鈥 But Stringz song, 鈥淭hunder鈥 on Nickelodeon about a million times. Nuttin鈥 But Stringz were a violin-rocking duo who played their own unique blend of music, and 鈥淭hunder鈥 was their biggest hit. Three-year-old Sam would point at the screen and proclaim, 鈥淚 want that!鈥 Finally one day, his mom realized what he wanted: to play the violin.

By age six, Sam had a violin in his hands鈥攁nd he still does. The music education and performance major, who鈥檒l graduate in the spring of 2026, is as passionate about music as he ever was, and this summer, he鈥檚 been accepted into the prestigious Green Mountain Music Festival, hosted by Saint Michael鈥檚 College in Vermont. The festival is a month-long intensive study program for college, graduate, and high school students who play the violin, viola, or cello. To be accepted, applicants must prepare an audition recording of two contrasting works.

Gaytan chose the first movement of the 鈥淏arber Violin Concerto鈥 and Bach鈥檚 鈥淪onata in G minor, Adagio.鈥

鈥淏efore I made the recordings, I was really tired of playing those pieces,鈥 says Gaytan. He鈥檇 been practicing both since summer and wasn鈥檛 at all happy with the Bach. The day before he was to do the recordings, he was hanging out at a friend鈥檚 house. He told his friend how tired he was of the pieces鈥攁nd that he wasn鈥檛 going to be able to give the recording his all as a result. 鈥淚'm gonna take a maximum of three takes tomorrow and be done with this," he said to the friend, who replied, "Samuel!"

鈥淭hat's all I needed to hear,鈥 says Gaytan. 鈥淭he next day I recorded for about three hours until I was satisfied. I submitted the application and was accepted.鈥 So this summer, he鈥檒l be escaping the Texas heat and heading north. 鈥淚'm looking forward to being able to practice my instrument without any distractions for a month, which will be a stark contrast to my current schedule in which I'm juggling many music education classes, my own private lesson teaching, and observation hours, on top of trying to get better at my instrument.鈥

The busy sophomore has, in fact, become quite adept at juggling in his two years of college, but it鈥檚 always a challenge. 鈥淚 am very busy, and honestly, I am still working on managing it all,鈥 he admits. 鈥淚 still get stressed out and burdened by the work I have to do and worry if I am doing a good enough job.鈥 But he turns to his faith to help him reestablish balance and peace in his life. 鈥淲henever I try to manage my life on my own, I start to get stressed, unbalanced,鈥 he explains. 鈥淏ut when I let Jesus rule my life, time, and mind, I find myself centered regardless of how much is going on because I know he is with me in the eye of the storm.鈥

Storms notwithstanding, Gaytan is quick to count his blessings鈥攂lessings like 鈥渂eing accepted into Mid-Texas Symphony, becoming the concert-maestro of the 极速六合彩历史开奖记录 orchestra, starting a bible study with some friends who truly desire to draw close to God, and being accepted in the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.鈥

One of the secrets of his success: the 极速六合彩历史开奖记录 School of Music. 鈥淚f I met someone who wanted to join the 极速六合彩历史开奖记录 music department, I would tell them the best part is that they will be taught privately by professors who have taught their instrument, voice method, etc., and some of them have been teaching for a decade or more,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rare in many state schools to have private lessons given by a professor instead of a graduate student who is on their way to achieving their doctorate.鈥

What does the future hold for the man who knew he wanted to play the violin at age three? He鈥檚 hoping to attend UT Austin鈥檚 Butler School of Music to pursue a master鈥檚 in music performance and pedagogy鈥攐r he might go straight into teaching as an orchestra director upon graduating from 极速六合彩历史开奖记录. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 decided which route I will take just yet,鈥 he says鈥攚hich if fine, because he鈥檚 got time. Time, and music, and faith.