Sounds of the season
Morris flutist makes cut for area orchestra
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| Although she’s only a junior in high school, Willow Taller is now performing with college students from Lewis University and Joliet Junior College as a member of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. (Herald photo by Adam Nekola – anekola@morrisdailyherald.com) |
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Although she was pretty nervous trying out for the prestigious Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), Willow Taller was still able to give it her all – and nailed it.
For the audition last August, Taller, a junior at Morris Community High School, played all the major and minor scales on her flute and a prepared piece. The conductor, Dr. Lawrence Sisk, then asked her to play her piece again without any consideration for “the rules.” Tempo, rhythm, and other standards could be thrown out the window.
“Then he had me play it again from memory,” she said. “I only got about six measures.”
The conductor seemed impressed with Taller, though, and told her she was in; and would play both the flute and piccolo. The experience will be great for Taller, who hopes to become a music teacher someday. It’s also a great way to meet new people, she said.
Although she’s always loved music, it has been a challenge for her. She practices every day for about an hour at home and every Wednesday evening at Lewis University with the other students in the orchestra.
They are playing the Nutcracker Suite this year, and Taller said some of the pieces are difficult.
“I have most of it down,” she said, “except this one song that is really, really fast. I’m still working on getting it right.”
Sisk said Taller has her work cut out for her in the Nutcracker Suite, where she has several solo passages.
Taller shares her love of music with her two older brothers. The boys played violin, while she plays piano, percussion, flute and piccolo.
She remembers the reason she chose the flute for her band instrument in the fourth grade growing up in New Lenox.
“I saw it as the shiniest instrument,” she said with a smile.
She gave percussion a try in junior high, but couldn’t resist the pull back to the flute in eighth grade.
Taller could only enroll in band three of the four quarters this year due to scheduling conflicts, but otherwise, she’s been in the Morris Community High School band since a freshman, playing in the marching band, concert band, and symphonic band; with hopes to be in jazz band later this year.
She has also played the flute and recorder for the Madrigals at the high school.
In a way, she said being in the MYSO is like the summer art camps she goes to at Interlochen, Michigan. Participants get to perform and interact with students from all over who are very good musicians, she said. It’s competitive, but it sharpens your skills, she said.
Taller is the only Morris student in the MYSO. Other area students in the orchestra include Yorkville residents Lauren Mozen and Tommy Robbins; Channahon residents Kyle McComb, Leah Norris and Andrea Withers; and Minooka residents Megan Friel, Paul Kubacki and Amy Smith.
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra consists of students from Lewis University, Joliet Junior College, and eighth grade and high school students from Joliet and 21 surrounding communities. Its purpose is to challenge talented young musicians by providing them the opportunities to perform a wide variety of styles of music from several historical periods.
