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How the girl I'm mentoring plays with an orchestra while at home.

"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I miss playing viola and percussion in Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Band," Dennise wrote in a scholarship essay today. She's the remarkable first generation student I'm mentoring this year. Her parents are Mexican immigrants.

"Music teachers created a beautiful solution," she wrote. "They mail students sheet music for their instrument part in each song. Each week, they also send us a link to listen to a professional orchestra playing the song we are learning. Wearing headphones, I play my viola along with the orchestra. This fills the void of not playing alongside other musicians."

Dennise plays first chair viola in the high school Chamber Orchestra and Icicle Creek Youth Orchestra. In junior year, she took up percussion, as well. Now she plays marimba, xylophone, snare drum, and other percussion instruments.

In 2018, this incredible young lady won first place in the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Competition for:

  1. Viola solo,
  2. Mallets solo (playing marimba with two mallets in each hand), and
  3. Snare drum solo.

Flame of Hope home porch concerts during the pandemic:

Last September, Dennise put flyers in mailboxes in her neighborhood, inviting people to come hear her play viola. Wearing masks, over 20 people listened to Dennise play viola on her front porch for an hour. People loved it.

Also she videotaped herself playing on viola the Beatle's song, "Yesterday," for memory care patients and senior homes. Her goal is to comfort people with music.

Starting as a freshman, Denisse has tutored students in math, including Algebra 1 and 2. Dennise tutors up to 20 students at once, an entire math class.

With a perfect 4.0 grade point average, Dennise plans to major in applied math and minor in music in college. She wants to become an accountant.

It's an honor to work with her.

LiterateHiker 9 Nov 14
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5 comments

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1

She is a remarkable young woman. You are an amazing mentor and example for her too

@BudFrank

Thank you so much.

"Your writing gets better each week," I told Dennise. "That's because I learn from you," she replied.

With English as a second language, students I mentor struggle writing in English. It's understandable since they speak Spanish at home.

So I teach them writing and organizational skills, and to complete applications before the deadline. This is the most rewarding volunteer work I have ever done.

@LiterateHiker bravo! You are using your skills in a wonderful way. I have my own strengths that are very different. This week I am monitoring requisitions for the flooding disaster in North Carolina. It is Boring work in some ways. Today I spent a couple of hours poring over two spreadsheets trying to find discrepancies

2

Well done to both of you.

2

I would like to hear her music. I would also like to know where a few of the students I tutored Calculus to are!

@giasmne

During our introductory Zoom meeting, I asked Dennise to play a song on her viola. Her playing is beautiful, expressive and soulful.

The high school loaned Dennise a marimba.

The first time I visited her house, I spotted the marimba and asked her to play.

With two mallets in each hand, Dennise played melody with her left hand and harmony with her right. She played fast and joyfully, a lively, bouncing jazz song.

Dennise is amazing!

2

I would love to hear her music!

2

What an awesome young lady, and thank you for mentoring her. That will make such a difference in her life.

@HippieChick58

Wearing masks, Dennise and I meet on Saturday mornings for 2 to 2-1/2 hours at her family home. Her parents are deeply appreciative.

So far, Dennise has applied to University of Washington and Western WA University. Today we worked on a long scholarship application (nine essays) that makes her eligible for 200 scholarships.

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