2014 June Musical Contest Winner: Adele Duval

Adele with Foothill High School’s Instrumental Music Director Mitch Bahr, The Music Connection owner Sally, and Sally’s daughter Mary Lou. “I first met Adele when she was a freshman and landed a spot as a vocalist in our school’s annual Club Cougar production,” says Bahr. “The school’s orchestra made such an impression on her she started playing saxophone with the goal of being in the following year’s production. Adele worked so hard she basically covered five years of music education in one year, and amazingly won a spot as lead tenor sax in the Club Cougar Orchestra. When we needed a clarinet player in our symphonic band, she stepped up to the challenge of learning the instrument and joined that band as well.”

North State Parent and The Music Connection of Chico and Redding congratulate Adele Duval of Redding, winner of our 3rd annual teen music essay contest and $400 gift certificate from The Music Connection! 

Adele, age 17, plays tenor saxophone, clarinet and piano. She plays in two Foothill High School bands. This year’s theme:  What first inspired you to start playing a musical instrument? What instrument/s do you play? Who motivates you to keep playing, and how?

I play the tenor saxophone, the piano and the clarinet. My first musical encounter was my attempt to play the family piano by labeling the keys with the fingering notation that I saw in the music. My mom inspired me to try; every Christmas she’d play songs on the piano, and no matter how simple the tune, it was magic. 

My parents finally decided to get me piano lessons, and I fell in love with music. I was later introduced to concert band, and it was a whole new experience being able to share music with a group of people that were as dedicated and ready to play as I was. My peers motivate me to keep playing because I see how much they are working. It makes me happy to be able to make music with them. Their love for music shows, and it motivates me to pursue true music. 

Music itself inspires me. No one artist inspires me while another doesn’t. Music is art, and not a single person expresses it the same. Musicians all do it differently. They can play the same exact song, but each one sounds so different. The artist’s love for their music shows, and that in itself inspires me to continue pursuing a quality of music that I can express myself, the way I want to. 

Music has, and always will, amaze me with its expression. There’s no limit to what you can express or interpret in a song. Music expresses what words cannot. Words are limited to definitions that people know, but the interpretations of music never end. Music is always changing. As you grow older, the music grows with you. You express and interpret it differently every time you play, leaving no limits to music.

[sws_grey_box box_size=”585″]North State Parent and The Music Connection thank all 2014 Music Contest entrants for your heart-felt, thorough and well-written essays. You are all winners! Alex Duff, Allison Pearson, Amy Thompson, Andrew Duff, Angelica Creager, Angelina Garcia, Benjamin Sperber, Brooke Lee, Bryan Gentles, Bryce Harrison, Caitlynn Flagg, Carson Williams, Caya Layman, Chase Cibart, Cheyenne Winland, Chloe Gray, Daniel Meyer, Ernie Aguirre, Gabriela Martinez, Gisel Rose, Hannah Restivo, Harrison Weddle, Jackie Ramirez, Jake Drawhorn, Joey Murray, Joseph Bohatch, Josue Navarro, Logan McClain, Mackenzie Nash, Maddy Rigby, Madeline Wenner, Margaret Murray, Mikayla Irwin, Nicole Zittel, Noah Burrell, Patrick Murray, Rebekah Hall, Sabrina Rouse, Shae Emerson, Tesslyn Knapp, Tristen Coullahan, Zoe Karch. [/sws_grey_box]