Senior and staffer, LeAnn Lopez, joined “The Rosette” Newspaper for the first time in hopes of being more involved with the school and making new friends. Lopez has not only involved herself in newspaper, but in many other organizations like NEHS (national english honor society), emerging leaders and volunteering at the elementary school in her free time. Lopez is very devoted towards her future with big goals. Her master plan is to be a millionaire by the age 20, she has not yet made a plan on how that goal will be achieved, but it's ok to manifest it. If her millionaire goal does not come to life, Lopez will go after a career that she finds passion in on top of helping others.
Orchestrating Perfection: Lopez enters her final year in orchestra
Reported by: Sophia Garcia
It’s been so long and she still gets nervous. Walking onto the stage, adorned in her elegant jet black dress that cascades onto the floor, applause echoes through the auditorium.
Taking a bow and a deep breath she begins, guiding the orchestra, playing in tune. Her nervousness ceases, she enters the zone. Picking up her violin and bow, feet flat on the ground, perfect posture, confidence radiates from her. Finally, she begins the performance.
Senior Leann Lopez will enter her final year in orchestra, with new positions and new responsibilities she plans to take on the year in stride.
Lopez's seven year orchestra journey began in sixth grade
“I ended up doing orchestra because it was something I could join in elementary school,” Lopez said. “This teacher would come in one time a week. He was advertising it, “like oh if you wanna try this out, during recess” I got time out of recess to do that I wanted to try something new and also all of my friends were doing it too. Me being in 6th grade, ‘oh my god my friends are doing it so should I.’”
Now seven years later, Lopez is: section leader of violins, First chair, and concertmaster for orchestra.
“As concertmaster,” Lopez said. “I’m the one who walks out on stage first and bows and tunes everyone, then we all sit down. There are first chairs for each section, people know who is in the front. My job as section leader is if anybody has questions in my section. It is stressful because the teacher relies on me to know the answer, but sometimes I don't. As the section leader I do need to know these things, so I can be firm and confident in my answers. They should be confident enough to ask me since I’m the section leader, the senior, the concertmaster.”
Lopez gained these titles in her junior year, when lopez “Started taking things seriously”
“It was the first year I really really really tried and showed it off.” Lopez said “The teacher noticed how I put forth all this effort and commitment and she gave me the spot of first chair and section leader. ”
Before that, the orchestra was very different for Lopez.
“In my sophomore and freshman year,” Lopez said. “I was always in the very back of the section. I was always goofing off with my best friend. I was cool with the teacher, but I’d still get in trouble for talking over the teacher.”
In her freshman year, Lopez struggled the most with orchestra.
“Since we were at home, it's hard to play an orchestra through zoom,” Lopez said. I would fake play because she wouldn’t be able to tell if I was playing or not. It was bad. I forgot how to play freshman year, and then in sophomore year I sucked. I just really lost my love for violin in those years, I really wanted to quit.”
But soon, things started to change for Lopez, and her role in the orchestra.
“Kinda after covid and during covid, it was bad.” Lopez said. “This is kinda sad, after my sophomore year my best friend moved away. I had nobody to talk to. Obviously when you’re in a classroom with nobody to talk to, you start to pay more attention in class. I started paying attention and putting time into it, then I discovered that I was really good at it.”
When all of Lopez’s efforts paid off, she “regained her love for orchestra.”
“When I got awarded my titles,” Lopez said. “It gave me hope. It made me realize that I was worth something in Orchestra. I might not have any friends in Orchestra, but I’m doing something I like and enjoy. It got so much more fun,I understood the music, I didn’t need to hide behind my stand in the back, now I’m in the very front.”
Now with her new titles, Lopez faces pressures to perform her best at concerts and UIL.
“I’ve grown a lot.” Lopez said. “Since I’ve got these titles, it puts me in a place where people look up to me. I’m a role model to these people. It’s changed me in a way to where I change myself: No more goofing around, no more bad posture, I have to set an example.”
As Lopez faces her final year in orchestra she aims to try even harder.
“I stay committed because I know this is my last year.” Lopez said. “After this I might not even touch my violin again. I’m staying committed because I'm using what I have to my advantage. I’m so grateful to have known how to play this instrument, so I don’t wanna take this last year for granted.”
