My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s new initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. We spoke with 19-year old Heather Wright, a freelance Bassoon player and full-time college student, to share with us her experience, advice, and her excitement to break into the industry.
“I was told that you must make your own path in music and I took that to heart,” says Heather Wright, a full-time student at Butler University.
In Heather’s career, she’s been given plenty of advice, but one specific piece stuck: there’s more than just one path to music.
“There are many different ways to be successful in music,” she says, “having a private studio, playing in a large orchestra, teaching in high school, composing, working in music administration, or recording studio work. The list goes on and on.”
From an early age, Heather felt herself drawn to music. She would watch Disney’s Fantasia’s take on the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and she quickly became mesmerized by the story, the magical dancing mops and most of all, the music. She was attracted to warm, hypnotic, dark tones of the bassoon. Heather wanted to play the solo line in the musical score, and the bassoon was just the instrument she needed. She’s been “stuck ever since.”
In high school, Heather’s opportunity to participate in the New World Youth Orchestra, which met at Butler University every Sunday, opened a world of musical possibilities for her. She performed several times on the Hilbert Circle Theatre’s stage and her orchestra hosted talented soloists. Performing with this orchestra was the highlight of her high school career.
“This was my first exposure to a high level of orchestral music,” she says. “I remember being so nervous at my first rehearsal, coming from a small high school with a small band program. My experiences in this orchestra not only nurtured exponential growth for me as a musician, but also as a student and individual. I would have never considered pursuing a life of classical music without my experiences in New World Youth Orchestra.”
To Heather, classical music provides a way to understand and appreciate the history of generations before. Dates, names, and re-telling of events each tell their part of history in their own way, but music is special. Listening to music of the past, connects us to the artists of that time. It pours us into their lives, their artistry, their melodies.
“The only thing that conveys the true emotions of the world, during those greats events, is music, especially classical music,” says Heather. “Classical music connects us with our past, which I think is crucial for today’s generations.”
Classical music is imparted into Heather’s life, but she hopes to not be confined to just music.
“I hope to continue on to dental school after my undergraduate,” she says. “I also plan on starting my own private studio and playing in gigs locally.”
And, as for creating her own path, she says, “Dentistry is my career goal, but I’m also carving out my own path in relation to classical music.”
Listen here for a clip of Heather’s music:
