The Keys to Success
A sit down with one of northview's pianists: Catherine Shih
KRisten Harriott, Mallika Chimpiri, Jordan Scavo
Catherine Shih has always put her heart into anything she does: whether it be directing her classmates as president of Northview's Model U.N, creating artwork to show to thousands, or playing the piano to an audience. Starting her music journey from a young age, she tells us within a thrilling interview about what inspires her everyday and how she uses the piano to inspire others just as passionate.
When did you start playing the piano?
"I started playing when I was five. " With a pause, she added, "My mom wanted me to play the piano... because she liked piano and she wanted to live her dreams through me. Like, [one day,] she picked me up from preschool and she was like 'we're going to a piano lesson!'"
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Did you grow to like iT
With a laugh, she clarified, "No, no definitely not...it just takes up a lot of time; practicing takes forever."
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At the question, her eyes lit up. "In the summer of eighth grade, I actually got to play at Carnegie Hall for the American Prodigy Competition. It's the most memorable for me because so many famous musicians were able to play there; in that moment, I felt like I made it."
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[On stage fright]: "Oh, yeah of course [I get]... stage fright, but you have to just do it. I'll cry, but then I'll face it and walk in. You just have to...do it." |
What's Your favorite piece that you've played, and why is it
your favoritE?
She paused, thinking of the multitude of pieces she's been able to learn, before she hesitantly revealed one of her current projects: "Something I've begun last summer was learning "Scarbo" by Ravel; its really hard, but I have to say, so far, that's my favorite." Many pieces of music are written by composers based off of a certain inspiration; Beethoven was entranced by the melodies of birds, for example, making his pieces very long and flowing as birds' melodies are. When asked why she loved "Scarbo", she told the story of Ravel' s inspiration. "I like it because it tells a story; the entire piece is one story line. This piece," she pauses, to laugh, " is actually about a dwarf who comes out at night to scare people. It sounds weird, I know, but its known as one of the hardest pieces of all time...it's one of the most difficult things I've had to do." With another pause, she added in humor, "Not to dab on the haters!"
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How do you balance all your activities?
She fell quiet, humming in concentration. "I know the correct answer is time management... to write everything out in a planner but... I go home and take a 3 hour nap and then stay up until 2 am finishing everything. I feel like you need to sleep first so your brain is rested," she mused. "I don't plan it, but you should plan it," she added, making a jab at her habits. So I'll just say time management and planning out your schedule before you start doing things." When asked if she finds it stressful having to balance all her activities, she cocked her head, thinking. "Not really. I didn't choose super hard classes this year, so it gave me more time."
So, when learning to play such complicated pieces, how
much time does it take?
At times playing pieces near ten minutes long, we questioned how long the process from just receiving the music sheets to being able to play the piece proficiently takes. At the question, Catherine revealed her secret to success: a strict practice regime. "There's really no way to get around it; I wish there was though," she ceded. "I practice on the weekends for four hours a day, and on the weekdays, because I have to balance both school and extracurriculars, for only two hours."
She thought for only a brief second before she decided on choosing her piano teacher. "Even though she yells at me a lot, she's always been there for me. She helps me do it and get through it."
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