Name: Nicole Johnson
Grade: senior

Wingspan: What made you interested in violin?

Johnson: “Well, I didn’t really have a choice. I started when I was three. My parents started me when I was very young. I always just started listening to my sister’s violin lessons when I was two years old and then just started actually taking violin lessons when I was three.”

Wingspan: Do you have a preference between either of the instruments?

Johnson: “I really like both instruments. I’ve played the violin my whole life, so I for sure really like the violin, but I do really like clarinet, and I’m going into college for clarinet, so I kind of am leaning more towards clarinet.

Wingspan: Who are your musical inspirations? 

Johnson: “I think my family. My mom’s a violinist, and my dad’s a band director, so I’ve been surrounded by music my entire life. My grandpa is also a clarinet player. So I get all of my clarinet stuff from him. And then my grandma was also a violinist. So, there are just many, many musicians in my life.”

Wingspan: What do you love most about playing the violin and clarinet?

Johnson: “I just really like being able to try new repertoire. Being able to hear [the song] from sight reading and being able to hear the process of creating music and hearing the full piece together. Also, being able to do different types of groups like trios, chamber groups, full orchestras, that kind of stuff.”