Edward Chen

Grade: 10th

Instrument: Saxophone

Future college: Cornell (hopefully)

Future Job: Some kind of engineer (not 100 percent sure)

Years Playing: 5

Inspiration: My friend Austin Zhang

Favorite Musician: Chance the Rapper

Wingspan: What made you choose the saxophone?

Chen: “I liked that with the saxophone you aren’t limited to just one style of music. You can play both jazz and classical music.”

Wingspan: When did you learn of your interest in music? When did you discover your talent? How has that changed you?

Chen: “Before I played the saxophone, I actually played the piano for a couple years. However, I never really had an interest in music until I picked up the saxophone in 5th grade. I discovered that I had a talent for it in 6th grade when I placed 3rd at All-Region. I was totally not expecting it, and it encouraged me to keep on practicing and be even better.”

Wingspan: How do you prepare for a concert?

Chen: “I prepare for a concert by going through all of the challenging parts in the pieces and making sure I can play them flawlessly every time.”

Wingspan: How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Chen: “If I make a mistake during a performance, I usually go back to the music afterwards and review what I missed to make sure I don’t have the same problem in the future. I don’t think it’s something it’s something to make a huge deal over. I view it as learning experience to help me improve as a musician in the future.”

Wingspan: How does band affect your everyday life?

Chen: “Academically, I don’t feel that band affects my everyday life too much. To be honest, I probably have better time management during marching band season compared to concert season. Outside of school, most of my friends are in band, so those are the people I usually hang out with. As a student in band, you spend so much time with the same people, so you naturally grow to become good friends with a lot of the people in it.”

Wingspan: Do you view music as a way to express yourself?

Chen: “Yeah, I’d definitely say so. Especially with jazz, there’s a lot of room to be creative. When soloing, everyone has their own interpretation and style, and there isn’t really a right or a wrong.”

Wingspan: Are you considering this as a career?

Chen: “No not really. I wouldn’t say I’m bad at my instrument, but I don’t think I’m good enough to do it as a career.”

Wingspan:What’s been your favorite memory in band?

Chen: “My favorite memory in band was probably this year at our very first competition. At prelims, we placed 7th, but after making some fixes right before our finals performance, we jumped all the way to 3rd. It was really cool because everyone was zoned in on how to improve in the parking lot before finals, and we all stepped up to the challenge.”

Wingspan: If you had to pick another instrument to play, what would it be?

Chen: “I would probably choose the trumpet so that I could play really loud and really high. As a saxophonist, the directors are always telling you to play softer.”

Wingspan: How do you balance band and your extracurriculars?

Chen: “I usually try to get as much homework done at school, so I don’t have as much at home. I also don’t watch that much T.V. and don’t play that many video games during marching season. As for my social life, it’s pretty much nonexistent outside of the time I spend with the people in band.”