Sasha Cornelius

Name: Sasha Cornelius 

Grade: Senior 

Instrument: Double Bass

Future College: University of Oklahoma 

Future Job: Commercial Pilot 

Years in Orchestra: 7 years

Inspiration: My mom

Favorite Musician: Frank Ocean and John Legend 

Wingspan: What made you choose your instrument?

Cornelius: When I first started orchestra, I originally played Cello. I chose the Cello because it has a beautiful sound. Then in 8th grade, there were no double bass players in my orchestra so I decided to switch instruments. 

Wingspan: What made you want to choose to do orchestra?

Cornelius: I liked the thought of playing a string instrument, so that is what made me choose to do orchestra. 

Wingspan: How does orchestra impact your daily life?

Cornelius: Since I am also in color guard, the tools that I use for orchestra have really helped for being successful in guard. Things like breathing, counting, and finding the tempo are all things that I have learned in orchestra, and these skills have been very helpful for me to be able to catch onto guard related things.

Wingspan: Are you considering continuing orchestra beyond? Why?

Cornelius: I have decided to not continue orchestra beyond high school. I wanted to focus on the next step in life which is college and my studies. 

Wingspan: What are your personal goals for this year?

Cornelius: A personal goal of mine that I have for this year is to make the most of it. In the past year, I’ve learned that you can not take anything for granted and to savor what you have because you never know when it may get taken from you. 

Wingspan: What is your favorite thing about orchestra?

Cornelius: My favorite thing about orchestra is the atmosphere. The  friends that I have made in this program, Ms. Blackstock, and Ms. Lien are so nice and caring. They have always made me feel welcomed ever since I stepped foot in the orchestra room freshman year.  

Wingspan: How do you balance orchestra, school, and any other extracurriculars?

Cornelius: I handle orchestra, school, and other extracurriculars really well. The directors try to schedule any rehearsals around what you have already planned because they know you have other commitments. So that is really helpful because everything balances out. 

Wingspan: What’s your favorite memory of orchestra?

Cornelius: My favorite orchestra memory will probably have to be when we went to Corpus Christi for spring trip my freshman year. 

Wingspan: What is your advice to anybody thinking about joining orchestra?

Cornelius: My advice that I would give to anyone about joining orchestra would be to have patience. Learning an instrument takes time and practice and you’re not going to get in on the first try. I promise you everything will work out in the end, it just takes a little bit to get into the swing of things. 

Wingspan: If you had to pick a different instrument to play what would it be?

Cornelius: If I had to pick a different instrument to play I would probably pick the guitar, or the piano.