By Emiliano Mayo
Curtains open as a tall, dark piano glistens under the lights of Carnegie Hall. Senior Carson Bosita takes a deep breath, places his hands on the keys and lets his body do the rest as the instrument begins to sing.
Carnegie Hall is world-renowned as one of the most prestigous places a musician can perform, but performing at such a location wasn’t always in Bosita’s vision.
“I didn’t think that I would be able to go to such a high level of a performance stage,” Bosita said, “But I knew that if I kept going at it, then something would happen eventually.”
To perform at such a notable venue, Bosita had to win first place at a recital in which the prize would be playing at Carnegie Hall. Bosita succeeded in this preliminary effort and ended up being the last to play.
“It was just a really big moment for me,” Bosita said, “But I had to treat it like any other performance, where you have to shut everything out besides what you want to play and the specifics of the piece you want to play. In general you need to be able to keep a level head or else you’re gonna rush.”
But Bosita hasn’t been the only Marksman to play at Carnegie Hall. Sixth grader Ethan Chen has also reached this level of prestige.
Chen’s piano journey began when he was six years old, and since then it has only been going upward.
“My parents were trying to find something that interested me and some instrument I could play,” Chen said, “I started taking lessons, and I ended up really enjoying it.”
Even though practicing consistently was important, Chen believes that a strong and balanced mindset is crucial for playing the piano at his level.
“It can be frustrating because there are some parts you can’t get but you have to keep calm to actually practice and get the most out of your practice,” Chen said, “I tend to actually get frustrated, and I just need to a take a 15 minute break just to calm myself down and then resume.”
For some, playing the piano is just a hobby or a way to fill up a college resume, but for Chen and Bosita, the piano is a passion that brings fulfillment.
“I love piano,” Bosita said, “If a day had 30 hours, I think I’d spend one or two more on piano every day.”
