Samo musicians take YoungArts

If you have attended any pep rally or scrolled through Facebook, you’ve probably heard the highly talented voices of Quinn D’Andrea’s (’14) and Jennifer Gsell (’14).The National YoungArts Foundation recently accepted both students into the final rounds of the program. The organization provides monumental experiences to emerging artists (ages 15-18), such as working with renowned artists, access to scholarships and recognition throughout the nation. As two of 170 national finalists, D’Andrea and Gsell were able to perform in the YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida on Jan. 6-12. This year, over 10,000 students applied for the 170 spots in the program.D’Andrea has been singing since she was in the fourth grade and playing piano since she was four.“Jenn convinced me to try out for it — which I am so indescribably thankful for — and I kind of applied just for the hell of it, not really expecting anything to come of it,” D’Andrea said. “I associate myself with music, and it consumes my entire life. Music is a huge part of my identity.”Being a part of YoungArts was motivating for both Gsell and D’Andrea, especially because they were able to work with successful musicians such as Judith Hill and Angela Brown.“[Music] is something I am interested in making a career out of,” Gsell said. “Young Arts helped me with expressing greater emotional nuance and helped a lot with technique.”Gsell, who has been singing for as long as she can remember, became interested in YoungArts last year when a representative came to speak to her class. Though she was not accepted then, she was motivated to try again this year.While one may feel threatened by overwhelming surrounding talent, Gsell was hardly fazed.“It wasn’t intimidating at all — everyone was extremely talented but also very unique, so you couldn’t compare anyone,” Gsell said.D’Andrea on the other hand was very intimidated by the other students, but she refused to let it pull her down.“As much as I would like to say that it was just a celebration of our talents, there was still a competitive nature about it,” D’Andrea said.The students began their day at 7 a.m., with breakfast at 8 a.m.. Everyone warmed up their voices and worked in a master class led by a professional musician. After their master class, all the finalists watched a performance from a certain discipline. The finalists got to see the progression of their peers as the program went on. Along with musical and professional experiences, Gsell and D’Andrea enjoyed interacting with other musicians in the program.“My whole discipline got together and learned ‘The Longest Time’ by Billy Joel,” Gsell said. “We all started harmonizing and all worked together really well.”Gsell, who wants to be a music major in college, said that YoungArts boosted her self-esteem.“YoungArts definitely made me more confident with the idea of [being a music major],” Gsell said, “The people I met there had the same fears and it was helpful to hear their plans and how they’re going to get ‘out there.’”D’Andrea has been chosen by YoungArts to be a candidate to recieve the U.S. Presidential Scholar of the Arts Award. Each year, candidates are chosen from across the country to  be recognized and honored as some of our nation’s most distinguished high school seniors. Along with this honor comes the experience of performing at the Kennedy Center.If you are an aspiring artist, both D’Andrea and Gsell recommend that you apply to YoungArts.“If anyone is ever on edge and trying to decide whether or not to apply, I would say it shouldn’t even be a question,” D’Andrea said. “Apply.”