Arts Student of the Week-Morgan Lane

Niwot sophomore Morgan Lane was a curious kindergartener the first time she heard someone play the violin.

"We had show-and-tell, and one of my friends brought their violin and played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for the class," she recalled. "And I thought it was the coolest thing. So I went home and begged my parents to let me play."

That was nearly a decade ago, and Lane has been working her way toward virtuoso status ever since. Today, she is a member of two orchestral groups at Niwot High-Symphonic Orchestra and the Pro Arté Chamber Ensemble-and also performs with the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras (GBYO). That's in addition to regular sessions with a private instructor in Boulder.

For Niwot High orchestra director Yinfeng Keynes Chen, the talented violinist's longtime dedication to perfecting her craft makes her an ideal role model for other class members.

"Even though Morgan is only a sophomore here, she has already demonstrated with very high levels of maturity, dedication, focus, and grit," he wrote in an email. "Not only has she consistently performed at her top level throughout this year, she has worked very hard to become a good leader in her ensembles, and has done a terrific job thus far. She is truly pleasant to work with, and I can't wait to see what she can do for the next two years in our orchestra program."

Lane is a fan of Romantic era compositions because, "it's more fun to play around with musically," she said. She also prefers playing in smaller ensemble groups where it's easier for individual musicians to "have a say in how you're going to play the music."

When she's not playing the violin, Lane enjoys her English and history classes at Niwot. During her free time, she likes reading and hiking and camping with her Boy Scout troop in Longmont.