Since she was five years old, junior Marin Backer has played violin, and she’s found her spotlight right here, in the Kingswood Oxford Orchestra.
Marin found her inspiration for beginning violin right in her home, from her mom. Every little girl wants to be like their mom, and Marin found this through the violin. “My mom was very musical,” Marin said. “She played violin when she was growing up, she did musical theater, and was very musically interested.”
Marin began playing on a macaroni box, which sounds unusual, but was beneficial to her. “I started playing on a little macaroni box,” Marin recalled, “and then I moved up to an actual violin. I knew how to hold it properly and use the bow.”
Through private lessons and lots of practice, Marin developed her skills and thrived with her violin skills.“I take private lessons outside of school every Friday,” Marin explained. “Normally, I try to practice like three to four times a week, and then I have my lesson on Friday.”
Marin’s practice and hard work led to her being prominent in the KO Orchestra since starting at KO in her freshman year. “I am the first chair, which is exciting,” Marin said. “I think Mr. Millen thinks of me as a leader. If someone ever needs help with something in a piece, I can help them figure it out, how to work through it.”
Marin’s family connection to the violin goes past her mom to her grandma. Marin’s favorite violin memories include times she has spent playing with her grandma by her side. “My favorite memory is probably playing Christmas carols with my grandma,” Marin recalled. “We’ve done it the past two or three years during Christmas at the Shaker Museum in New Hampshire. They host a Christmas carol sing-along and we’ve played for that along with some other brass instruments. It’s a nice way to get in the Christmas spirit and just spend time with my grandma in a way that we really connect.”
After KO and into college, Marin sees her musical journey continuing, no matter what direction it may take. “I think I’m probably gonna end up playing in a small orchestra at whatever college I end up at, and we’ll see how it goes from there,” Marin said. “I don’t think I will ever give it up completely.”
While playing in college, Marin has a few goals she’d like to accomplish. “I think one of my goals is just becoming a more expressive player,” she said. “I’m pretty good with getting notes down and figuring out how to play the piece, but I think to just become a better player, you have to learn how to be more emotional in the music that you play. Just being able to evoke that emotion in how you play really makes a difference.”
Marin’s recent favorite piece is from the Opera “Thaïs” by Jules Massenet. “I learned this piece called Thaïs,” Marin said. “It’s from the Opera Tais. It wasn’t from a Suzuki book, which are standard violin pieces in books. It was so beautiful and I get to play it all the time, especially whenever I’m practicing. It’s what I always like to end with because I think it’s really pretty. It’s nice and slow while being very elegant.”
Having Marin in the KO Orchestra is a delight, considering her talent, perseverance, and how hard she works. Keep up the good work, Marin!
