Name: Ishaan Bhakta

Grade: 11

Fine Art: Orchestra

Years of Experience: 3

Wingspan: When and why did you start playing your instrument?

Bhakta: “I always liked playing music, playing the piano, so when I got to middle school and got to choose an [orchestra] instrument out of the four instruments, I chose the bass. At first I wanted to play cello but I wanted to play the bass after playing it for a bit. My orchestra teacher suggested bass because I was physically one of the biggest people in the orchestra.”

Wingspan: What has been one of your proudest moments as a bass player? 

Bhakta: ¨During my freshman year, my orchestra played a piece pretty badly. We chose a pretty hard piece for UIL, and I was the only bass player in my orchestra. We practiced a lot and managed to get a 1, the highest score, for all our pieces.¨

Wingspan: What’s one thing about playing the bass that people don’t know about which you think is surprising, cool, or interesting? 

Bhakta: ¨A ton of music has bass in it, like pop, jazz, and rock. Because the bass is a lot lower in pitch, it’s a lot easier to sneak into pieces subtly in a way that adds depth to the piece.¨ 

Wingspan: Is there a specific composer that inspires you?

Bhakta: “Beethoven, because he was deaf but still was able to compose really good music.”

Wingspan: Is there any advice you would give to prospective orchestra students? 

Bhakta: “Practice a little bit more in your own time, because at some point, the music is going to get a lot harder and you’re going to need to catch up, which is a lot easier if you already have good habits.”