Opus 1 Music Studio is proud to feature longtime piano student, Coltrane!
At the age of seven, Coltrane's musical journey began when he became intrigued by the electric keyboard in his family's home. Now, six and a half years later, his dedication has led him to pass ABRSM Grade 7 and secure acceptance into the prestigious Interlochen Arts Program summer camp to study piano. "I had been preparing for my next ABRSM exam with Teacher Ryan, and my mom thought I should apply to Interlochen. I was able to use the pieces I was already playing for the ABRSM for my Interlochen application. It made the process easier than it normally would be," he explained.
Reflecting on his acceptance, Coltrane expressed his surprise and stated, "I was really surprised, and happy when I was accepted. I received Distinction on my ABRSM exam. I knew my performance must have been good, but I did not think that it would be me that got accepted."
Coltrane is looking forward to his three-week stint at Interlochen this summer, where he will immerse himself in an array of music classes. "They have courses that I will participate in, including practice times and one-on-one sessions with a teacher. There's also a theory course," he explains. Describing the experience as akin to a "mini version of being at a conservatory,” he explained.
As Coltrane reflects on his growth as a musician and experiences with ABRSM exams, he highlights the sense of achievement he has gained from revisiting older pieces of music that once seemed very difficult for him, “ With the ABRSM, you go level by level, grade by grade, and the pieces get harder and harder. So after I did ABRSM grade seven, I went back to do another piece from the grade seven syllabus, and it was actually really easy to learn. It was a piece I really wanted to perform, by Fanny Mendelssohn. One of my goals for myself lately, and something I want to work on at Interlochen is to learn to polish a piece with less time than it normally takes for me to get through one.”
To enhance his ability to learn challenging pieces more efficiently, Coltrane has been collaborating with Teacher Ryan to develop strategic and methodical approaches to practicing the piano. “Ryan has helped me to manage all of the different aspects of learning piano. He has encouraged me to try and learn two or three measures a day. It's about knowing how to pace yourself, pace the learning, so you get to where you want it to be in a reasonable amount of time. He also helps with getting a feel for the music. He has great analogies to explain how pieces should be played, and how they should feel,” he explained.
Coltrane attributes his recent success and accomplishments to a newfound appreciation for the value of his time, which serves as a powerful motivator driving him to achieve his goals. “ I've certainly found myself sitting procrastinating on things before, or sitting around and not doing much. But, when you really think about it, you realize what you could accomplish if you use your time wisely. Planning ahead using a planner helps me to make sure I have time for everything,” he explained.
Having journeyed far from his beginnings as a curious 7-year-old tinkering with an electric keyboard, Coltrane now imparts wisdom for aspiring musicians. “ Listening to pieces carefully is just as important as playing them. You also have to remember that all of the world famous musicians started learning the same basic level pieces that you might be learning. Don’t give up if you feel like it is taking a long time to learn a piece when you are a beginner,” he said.