Hear from our Rising Stars™ Students

Caroline

Caroline set a goal to play the snare drum in her high school’s marching band. She knew it would take hundreds of hours of dedicated practice to earn the coveted spot—and she was willing to put in the hard work.

In her words, “It takes perseverance to handle the hours of practice and rehearsal and the repetition of perfecting a piece. It takes grit to handle the times when you make a mistake or struggle with a piece.” You can imagine her excitement when she learned she had earned the spot in her marching band!

Now, after working with one of Infinite Music's Rising Stars™ teaching artists, Caroline reflects on what music means to her: “I can’t imagine my life not having music in it.”

John

As a highly introverted high school student with focus and reading challenges, John came to Infinite Music’s Rising Stars™ program seeking oboe lessons. After working with one of our teaching artists for a few months, John asked the program organizer at the end-of-year showcase if he could speak before his performance.

What a transformation! John took his place on the stage, stood in front of his audience and spoke to how much working with Infinite Music™ had transformed his life. He thanked his teacher, and went on to perform flawlessly.

Diana

When Diana’s elementary school teacher launched a brand new music program, Diana was drawn to the saxophone, not because she loved the instrument, but because it was the only one she recognized from watching SpongeBob Squarepants!

Her music journey eventually took her to strings for a time, but she returned to the saxophone with renewed determination. Working with Infinite Music™ teaching artist Dave Becker, Diana worked hard to prepare this rousing piece for our end-of-year showcase.

Evan, 17

"Through listening to and creating music, I've learned so much about self-expression and truth with oneself."

Clara, 12

"I am kind of a shy person so music has been something that I can just do and not be afraid."

Maile, 12

"Music has always been a big part of my life; even since preschool, I have always pictured myself as eventually becoming a great singer."

Jhannah, 17

"I've had multiple moments where I felt like giving up, but music was there to ease the pain and pushed me to keep climbing up to the top."

Eve, 17

"Interacting with others who love music and being able to help them improve themselves is a whole new world I never thought I would want to venture to ..."

Praise from parents

Parsa Plays Piano

I just wanted to thank you for connecting our family with [a piano donor]. We are incredibly grateful for her generosity. Not only did she donate the acoustic piano to us, but she also covered the transportation and tuning costs. It was such a thoughtful and generous gift, and it means a great deal to our family.

We truly appreciate your kindness and support. Parsa continues to practice every day. We are also hopeful that we will be able to benefit from the scholarship for the next round of piano lessons.

Fatemeh & Vali