March Musician of the Month: Chinmayi Swaminathan
Photos submitted by Swaminathan.
Chinmayi Swaminathan is this month’s musician of the month! Only being a sophomore, she is first chair in the Wind Symphony for the trumpet section. She also plays the trumpet in Jazz One, succeeding in many solos both in concert and jazz band! Recently, Swaminathan has received a score of 1* on her trumpet solo, brass quintet, Jazz One, and brass ensemble at WSMA Solo and Ensemble, meaning that she will advance to State at UW-Milwaukee for four events!
Senior trumpet player Lucy Daniel praises Swaminathan by stating, “Chinmayi is really sweet, and she’s also very kind! She’s super encouraging to all the trumpets, and she makes sure that everyone has a good time while we’re at rehearsal. She’s also very talented at the trumpet.”
Congratulations to Swaminathan! Read more about her below:
How long have you been in band and why do you continue to do it?
I have been in band since 5th grade, so for 5 years now. I continue to do it because I love the community it brings, and it allows me to keep pursuing my interest in music!
What is your solo piece that you played in Solo and Ensemble this year? What do you like about it?
This year for Solo & Ensemble, I played the “Arutunian Concerto” by Alexander Arutunian. I started working on it at the beginning of this school year because I knew it was going to be very difficult, but I love the style of the music and it is genuinely so fun to play, I am looking forward to performing it again at State!
What are your goals for yourself this year musically?
I am a part of MYSO (Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra), a youth orchestra program that I have been playing in outside of school for three years now, and one of my goals is to make it into the Senior Symphony orchestra for next year! Aside from MYSO, I also hope to get a 1 at State Solo & Ensemble in May!
What is your advice for anyone wanting to play the trumpet?
Honestly, I would say one of the main things with any instrument is patience! Especially when starting out, it can be really frustrating when you aren’t able to hit a specific note or play a specific rhythm. The best thing you can do is keep working at it and stay consistent! If you end up not liking the instrument and want to stop, you can do that at any point and there’s absolutely no pressure, so I would definitely recommend just trying it out!
What are other activities that you are involved in outside of band? What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Outside of music-related activities, I play girls tennis at HHS in the fall, and am also involved in DECA! In terms of hobbies, I love reading and watching movies!
How do you manage all the different activities you are in?
The main thing is balance! My schedule can get to be very busy at times, but even fitting in just 15 minutes of practice is better than none, and I try to stay consistent with at least small amounts of practice throughout my week!
Who inspired you to become a trumpet player?
To be honest, I don’t think I was inspired by anyone in particular. I picked up the trumpet in 5th grade because it was one of my favorite instruments out of the ones I tried out, and one of the only ones I could get a sound out of. Now, though, I would definitely say that I am inspired by a lot of big jazz trumpet players, like Miles Davis.
What are your future plans after high school?
I don’t know exactly what I want to do after high school, but in terms of music, I want to keep playing in some sort of college jazz/orchestra group. In addition to this, I am considering doing a music minor alongside whatever I choose to major in in college!
