Ellie has been an active member of the Walldren Piano Studio since 2019, and is under the spotlight today because she just received her seventh consecutive superior at the NFMC Festival. Not only did the judge give her the elevated score of a “Superior Plus”, but she was named Honorable mention in the high school competition. Her program was Mozart’s Sonata no.9 in D Major, and Philip Keveren’s Etude in C Sharp minor. She is in 9th grade and 15 years old.
She answered the following questions about her festival experience, in hopes that other students might benefit!
How did you feel walking in on performance day – and how did that change after you finished playing?
E: I felt very worried before I played, and continued to feel that way after I was finished (even though it was for no reason!).
What was the hardest part of preparing for this festival?
E: The nerves about knowing that I was going to be performing the pieces for a judge.
What did your practice look like in the weeks leading up to the festival?
E: It was a LOT of section practice, time with the metronome, and making recordings and reviewing them.
Was there a moment during preparation where you felt stuck – and how did you work through it?
E: Yes, the long runs of 16th notes in the Mozart. I was careful with fingering – writing it in, and did a lot of slow practice with metronome to make sure the runs were shaped and even.
You received an Honorable Mention and placed 4th – how did that feel when you found out?
E: It was better than I was expecting, but I still felt a little sad about it.
What part of your performance are you most proud of?
E: That my hands and brain didn’t give up. I kept going. I was lucky.
What advice would you give to another student who it thinking about participating in a festival but isn’t sure they are ready?
E: They should just try it for the experience. Plus, any advice and comments that they get from a judge will better prepare them for the next time.
Congratulations, Ellie, and thank you for sharing!