NURTURING TALENT; FULFILLING POTENTIAL
Matthew Qu, age 13, Piano Student
Dedication, practice and enjoyment: three words that, according to 8th grade chess and Frisbee enthusiast, Matthew Qu, are the key ingredients to getting started as a great musician. At only 13 years old, this scholarship-winner possesses talent and skill well beyond his years. When asked what he likes most about playing piano, he says the self-satisfaction of completing a piece and the rewarding feeling of conquering something more difficult than you could ever play before. He believes MacPhail can help nurture talent because it is a school that is full of “other people that want to learn just as much as you do.” His teacher, Irina Elkina, is encouraging and lets him choose the pieces he wants to play, which he believes helps motivate him. When you’re dedicated to learning something new, you want to practice, and according to Matthew, wanting to practice leads to the most important reason you play: to enjoy yourself.