Spotlight: Eli Brown and Cyrus Allyar

Aliza AbarbanelStaff Writer The two teenage boys are sitting on the concrete, facing each other with phones clutched in one hand, trumpets in the other. They don’t know each other, but their conversation has none of the requisite awkwardness of strangers introducing themselves. They are talking about mouthpieces.The debate over make and style turns to composers, and then the battle of symphonies begins. Junior Cyrus Allyar leans back as he listens to sophomore Eli Brown wax poetic over the most recent addition to Samo Wind Ensemble’s repertoire. The boys are biding their time as they wait for the beginning of their photoshoot for “The Samohi.” And while we knew Brown and Allyar were both master trumpeters, we didn’t expect their love of music to connect them so quickly and seamlessly.“Have you played this piece? It’s kind of tricky ...” Allyar says.It’s the beginning of a showdown. The two musicians compare notes on theory with verve and excitement which calls to mind two kids in a proverbial candy store.It’s not just the photographers on “The Samohi” who are impressed by this pair; both these young musicians are already well-regarded in the musical community for their talents. Brown sits third chair in UCLA’s Symphony Orchestra, while Allyar holds second chair for the USC Concert Orchestra. Their typical high school days yield to musical nights, with long hours put in beneath university ceilings. Though they come from similar musical backgrounds, these talented musicians lead very different lives.Brown is an uber band student. Introduced to piano at age seven, he started playing trumpet when he was nine, and fell in love with the rich, brassy instrument. After entering the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Honor Orchestra in sixth grade, Brown was accepted into the top band at John Adams Middle School (JAMS). His musical career truly started when he came to Samo, where he was one of the rare freshmen accepted into Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Now, the budding maestro is the principal trumpet in Samo’s top jazz band and Symphony Orchestra and  co-principal trumpet in Wind Ensemble.“I started and currently run my own Brass Quintet with Steven Harmon on horn and Pieter Block on trumpet, Jonathan Forsander on tuba and Kyle McCreight on trombone. I wanted the group to be younger; they’re currently all underclassmen, so we’ll be able to develop our repertoire and hopefully start getting gigs,” Brown said.While Brown’s involvement with trumpet takes place largely on-campus, Cyrus Allyar has found his niche in a different way. Although his introduction to music began with recorder, it quickly transitioned to trumpet.“I always wanted to play the trumpet but I was too small to actually hold it, so my dad said ‘I’ll start you out on recorder and we’ll put you on flute until you’re big enough to play the trumpet.’ Then when I was in third grade, he finally said I could, so I started playing trumpet then and I just fell in love with it,” Allyar said.From there, his involvement with music quickly spread as he played flute in the  SMMUSD Honor Orchestra in second grade and trumpet in third. However, unlike Brown, his involvement with school band halted once he reached Samo.“If you want to play in one group, you have to play in several. I want to do this professionally, and so I need a lot of time after school to practice and if you have to play in all of these different ensembles there’s not that much time for me to get done what I need to get done,” Allyar said.Then the USC Concert Band came into the picture. Allyar sits in on master classes at USC each week in addition to his rigorous practice schedule in the Concert Band, where he says the level of talent is “extraordinary” and the dedication is “abundant.”“I don’t care about the prestige associated with USC, but the experience is amazing,” Allyar said. “The opportunity to play with college students and to be surrounded in their environment and play with such a high level of an orchestra is incredible.”Currently, Allyar is busy with preparations for the National Trumpet Competition in Washington, D.C. on March 17, where he is one of 30 semi-finalists.Allyar is also studying German in preparation for what he hopes will be the next step in his musical career: attending an elite music conservatory in Germany after graduating from Samo. Allyar has already had a chance to test his fluency on the ground — his youth orchestra recently took second place at the Vienna International Youth Music Festival.Like Allyar, Brown expects music to play a major role in his future.“[Samo band director] Mr. Corrigan has sort of taken me under his wing, gives me scores to organize; he talks about giving me the opportunity to conduct wind ensemble. I’ve been doing some composing and I’ve been arranging pieces for Brass Ensemble. Letting me have the ability to conduct as a sophomore in high school is uncommon, it’s really incredible,” Brown said.The dream of a future career as a conductor — the treasured idea of stepping out of the chair and onto the podium — is a driving factor behind Brown’s work. Although he has two full years left as a high school student, Brown’s preparations have also moved past campus, into the UCLA Symphony Orchestra.“Technically, any ‘associate’ of UCLA can audition for the UCLA Symphony. I chose to audition mainly because the UCLA conductors for that ensemble are student conductors. I get to watch the conducting professors comment on student’s conducting, and I actually learn a lot from that. Just by watching, it’s an experience in itself,” Brown said.These differing musical experiences combine to form unique personalities and aspirations, but also to create strikingly similar ideals. When looking at them individually, their differing ages and dreams for the future set these two trumpeters apart from one another. However, their identities as musicians are centered entirely on technique and passion. Brown and Allyar each have unique traits that define them as musicians transcend age –– adding another rich sound to the symphony.aabarbanel@thesamohi.com