Olivia A - Student of the month - Composer, Singer, Pianist, and Soccer Middlefielder

Congratulations to Olivia A. She’s won our student of the month award for May 2018 because she wrote her own song to teach herself all the notes on the piano. And she’s a soccer star. Go Olivia!

We are quite proud of her. Watch the interview, or read below!

Veronica: Hello, I’m Veronica Towers-Dioso, the school manager of Sage Music and I’m really excited to introduce you to Olivia. Olivia has won our student of the month award for great practice and we’re just going to chat a little bit. We were really excited by the fact that you wrote your own composition to learn all of the notes on the piano keyboard. Tell me a little bit about how you did that and why.

Olivia: Well, I was really excited at first to learn piano, so I asked my grandpa because I used to have a piano that my dad got me when I was little. So he fixed it up a little bit and brought it up from the basement. So I listened to sounds on my phone and I really got inspired by how good the people that played and I just started writing my own songs. And we wrote it down and my sister wanted to learn it. So I kept on, I taught her too.

Veronica: So you’ve been teaching your sister a little bit about the piano as well?

Olivia: Yeah.

Veronica: What have you taught her so far?

Olivia: I taught her some of the notes on a piano and the song that I wrote.

Veronica: That’s great. That’s really, really great. Tell me a little bit more about your practice since that’s what this is all about. We think you’ve been doing a really great job.

Olivia: My practices are great. Mr. Julian really helps me with some of my struggles that I have with the piano. Like if he explains how the piano makes the sound. One class I wondered how like the piano, how the end note is very faint and other notes are very long. He told me there’s this sort of string for that. So it really helped me understand more about it.

Veronica: Cool. I love hearing that. That’s so interesting. I’d love to learn a little bit more about your experience at Sage Music because I know that you’ve taken voice, right? And you’re taking piano now. And so tell me a little bit about what it’s been like at the school.

Olivia: It’s been great. Voice is really good for me. I liked it a lot, but then I thought I want to be able to learn the piano as much too so I can sort of like when I’m older, just combine those two together and be a musician.

Veronica: Oh, so you’re ambition is to be a musician?

Olivia: Yeah.

Veronica: That’s so exciting, I’m really excited to help you get there? And there’s the upcoming recital. And what are you going to be doing on piano? You did it last time, right, for Voice? What song do you think are going to be playing?

Olivia: I’m not sure yet because we just started like….because I forgot my piano book last time….so we just started looking at my piano, but yeah, we still had a little time, we’ve got progress.

Veronica: Yes. Well we have time before the recital so I’m sure that we’ll get there. So you’ve had the experience, it sounds like it’s been, it’s been really great, Olivia, I’m really really happy to hear that. Tell me a little bit about outside of Sage Music and outside of school, what are you doing?

Olivia: Well, outside of school….I had normal school, regular school, and I’m on a soccer team there. It’s a soccer club and I have the game next Thursday, so I’m kind of nervous about it.

Veronica: I bet you’re going to do great. What position do you play?

Olivia: Middlefield

Veronica: Well, that’s like right in the center. Do you feel like you hold the team together?

Olivia: Yeah.

Veronica: That’s cool.

Olivia: Me and my sister and my friend Lena hold the team together.

Veronica: That is so amazing! So not only do have a sister who’s musical, but she’s also, she’s also really good at sports with you.

Olivia: Yeah.

Veronica: That’s so cool. You guys are twins, right?

Olivia: Yeah.

Veronica: Like what a cool partner, right? And do you ever think about doing music together?

Olivia: Yeah, she’s always there for me and when I need her, she’s like my best friend.

Veronica: That’s great, that’s beautiful! Well it’s been a real pleasure talking to you. I really appreciate it. And congratulations again.

Olivia: Thank you.

Veronica: You’re welcome.