In about every concert and performance, you can see and hear senior Marwynn Somridhivej demonstrating his musical talents in some way, whether that be by playing a masterpiece on the piano or standing out in the string orchestra because of his talent on the violin. Marwynn started playing piano at six years old because his mom wanted him to try it, and he liked it so much that he’s stuck to it for over a decade. Early on, Marwynn felt that he was good at the piano, and he had a lot of fun with it, so he kept with it, advancing quickly.
“The pace I progressed was faster than I expected,” Marwynn said. “Early on, I was playing more advanced pieces than my level. I had too much fun with it and would play a lot,” Of the two instruments (piano and violin), Marwynn said he likes the piano more. One of the many ways his parents would get Marwynn to practice the piano was to practice it themselves and pretend to “fight” over it. He said his parents both played piano, but not too well, and ended up quitting early on. Regardless, their dedication to music led to Marwynn waking up and playing the piano first thing in the morning, and that’s why he stuck with it, because of how much he enjoyed it.
Marwynn has been continuing his interest in the piano at KO as well. He’s part of the KO orchestra, and from time to time does piano solos when needed. He’s also practices and plays the piano in Tri-M, the KO chapter of a national musical group. As mentioned before, on top of playing the piano, Marwynn has also mastered the craft of playing the violin. He started playing the violin in third grade when his school required a music class, and his mom recommended he try the violin because she liked the sound of it. He has been performing the violin for the past four years as part of the KO and pit orchestra.
“I’ve stuck with violin the same reason as piano; it was something I look forward too and don’t see it as a burden,” he said. “If my family likes the song, they would have me play for them, anything I have, they all want me to stick with it, and they get music wherever they go.” Outside of KO, Marwynn has been part of the CT Youth Symphony for two years and has been doing regionals since freshman year; last year he did all-states for violin.
“[In college] I’d say [I’ll pursue] at most a music minor, because for music majors and stuff I’ll have to do auditions,” he said. “As a minor, I’ll still be able to pursue music without having too strict requirements, it’s something I wanted to be doing as long as I can do it. I want to keep my skills sharp through college.” Creative Arts teacher Wayne Pierce has been teaching Marwynn since the beginning of this year and truly sees his passion for music. He said that as a pianist and violent, Marwynn has a true interest in making music. “He has excellent listening skills and has a good grasp of the fundamentals of how music works as well as a good knowledge of a variety of musical styles,” Dr. Pierce said.
In his AP Music Theory class, Dr. Pierce said that Marwynn displays his knowledge and passion in the many areas they cover such as dictation, analysis and listening. “We’re using melodicas (wind powered keyboards) in class for the first time and this has awoken another passion of his, composition and arranging,” he said. “I’m looking forward to some cool new pieces he’s considering for the class to perform. It’s clear Marwynn has a bright musical future ahead!”
