Hopkins Musicians Strike a Chord at CMEA

Regarding the positive aspects of CMEA, cellist Jingheng Lu ’26 thinks “CMEA benefits student musicians due to its full orchestra ensemble.” Caryn Kim ’26, who plays the flute with the Hopkins Band, agrees with Lu: “I think it helps students at Hopkins see the possibility for a full sized band/orchestra and the potential for a great ensemble.” Another cellist in the Hopkins orchestra, Teddy Shin ’29, agrees and adds, “CMEA benefits student musicians because you can meet new people and have new experiences.” Todd Xue ’27 participated this year for the regional orchestra, and says that as a musician, “I feel like I got a lot better practicing for it. CMEA forces a lot of practice and improvement.” 

Many students express that they enjoy participating in CMEA. Lu says, “Playing good music with friends is fun.” Caryn Kim notes the value of the repertoire and her fellow musicians as well: “It's a lot of fun being able to be surrounded by a group of musicians who are so talented. The most recent concert list was Danzon No. 2, Harry Potter's Wondrous World, and Swan Lake.” Aside from the repertoire itself, Isaac Kim ’27 said that he “had a lot of fun, and got to meet a lot of really talented musicians. The vibes were immaculate. It allowed me to showcase my talent and play with other really good musicians.”

Hopkins students found support during their audition process from peers, private lessons, and Hopkins staff. Lu says that support came “usually from lessons, [and], Mr. Smith is happy to help people.” Kimaya Phatak ’29 credits Erik Elligers, another music teacher at Hopkins, as a strong source of support. She says, “Elligers encouraged us all to sign up and audition and he was very helpful about the importance of learning from all experiences.” While some students credited the support they received as coming from Hopkins teachers, Caryn Kim thinks that the rehearsals themselves benefit her: “Being able to practice sight reading whenever we're starting new pieces was a great way for Hopkins to support me.” Isaac Kim agrees about the benefits of sight reading practice. He says, “Sight reading during band and with the orchestra has really prepared me for the sight reading section of the audition.” Though Hopkins teachers are more than willing to provide assistance, Xue says he “mostly worked with [his] teacher outside of school.” On the other hand, Will Jang ’27 found support in his peers. He says, “I was supported by my many other peers who were participating in CMEA; I didn't feel lonely at the orchestra because there were so many other Hopkins students there.”

One downside of the event was its organization, according to Isaac Kim: “I wish it was organized better: the auditions are always backed up like 30 minutes and it sucks waiting outside the room, especially as a clarinetist. There are always a ton of clarinets that audition, so it gets backed up a lot.” 

Derin Bahtiyar ’27 believes Hopkins’s music spaces also have room for improvement. He claims that the music department “is woefully under-resourced.” He expresses frustration as a member of the Hopkins Orchestra: “We do not have a dedicated rehearsal space as one of the largest groups on campus. There are around 150-200 musicians at Hopkins. There are three practice rooms. A new building was built with the promise of being for the arts, but there are no practice rooms in that building.” 

Despite the shortcomings of CMEA’s scheduling and Hopkins’s limited practice space on campus, the general consensus of students is that participating in CMEA is a valuable experience. Phatak implores Hopkins students, “Even if you don't get in, it is a great experience to learn how to audition and to learn new music. It helps you learn new music and techniques you normally wouldn't learn in school.” Caryn Kim thinks that overall, “[CMEA] is a lot of fun and helps give you something to work towards, improving your skills and you really do get to meet a fun, wonderful group of people. For me, it's been such a fun time to meet my out of school friends and play together. So, I think it's worth doing it.”