Arts Student of the Week: Ian Springsteen

When Niwot High School music students traveled to Europe for two weeks last summer, visiting Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, one of the highlights of the trip for violinist Ian Springsteen was the visit to the Sibelius Academy and the Jean Sibelius house in Finland. Sibelius, who is widely known for his symphonies and tone poems, especially "Finlandia," now ranks among Springsteen's favorite composers.

It was an inspirational trip. Springsteen remembers that their group performed in two cathedrals, playing, among other pieces, "Leroy Anderson Favorites," a collection of five of Anderson's famous melodies, and an arrangement of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

"It was full," Springsteen said. "Packed. It was amazing to see the people who came out to watch us perform. Not like your parents going to the concert, but people that you don't know, there to see you. That's really cool." He credits his teacher and NHS Orchestra Director, Keynes Chen, who nominated Springsteen for Arts Student of the Week, for making the experience happen. "It was really inspiring to me," Springsteen added.

Actively involved in multiple music ensembles in the past years, including school orchestras, small ensemble, mariachi, and the Longmont Youth Symphony, Springsteen played the baritone saxophone for a short time, but started private violin lessons in the fourth grade. He remembers going to his brother Conner's violin lessons when they were young.

"I want to do that," he thought. "To be better than you." That brotherly rivalry eventually led to his first orchestra appointment, playing in the Longmont Youth Symphony. That experience opened his eyes. He said the voice in his head said, "Wow. I can be a lot better. I want to keep doing this." After that, Springsteen played in middle school, attending both Sunset Middle School and Flagstaff Academy.

Now a junior at NHS, Springsteen excels at his instrument. "Ian is a hardworking violinist in our Symphony Orchestra," Chen said. "I hear Ian practice in our practice rooms regularly after school is over, and he tries very hard to execute all the details that were covered during rehearsals. Due to this character of his, plus the fact that Ian is very reliable, respectful, selfless, and a very kind human being, it is to no one's surprise that he is one of our best student leaders in our orchestra department."

Springsteen enjoys playing in the orchestra. "Mr. Chen, he's really amazing for a director," Springsteen said. "He's inspired me to get really good and practice a lot and, well, just advance in playing the repertoire."

Springsteen cites Chen as his biggest influence from the time he saw Chen perform in Boulder. "Just seeing how he moves around, and performs and just expresses himself. It's really cool to see." Another musical influence is the duo, TwoSet Violin, who are regulars on YouTube.

When Chen asked orchestra volunteers to play with the school's mariachi ensemble, Springsteen didn't hesitate. "They're really upbeat and fun. And you learn a lot."

Overall, Springsteen's experience at the high school has been good. "People there are great. I really like Niwot. The faculty is really supportive of the orchestra program and music in general. And our principal, Mr. Rauschkolb, really supports us."

Although he couldn't take more orchestra classes besides the Symphony Orchestra this semester due to schedule conflicts and graduation requirements, Chen said he "continues to take his music training very seriously and aims to join multiple ensembles next semester."

At the moment, the NHS Orchestra is preparing for its December concert, and Springsteen will be going back to Europe again over spring break with the mariachi group.

When he is not practicing violin, Springsteen likes playing games with his friends online and fly fishing with the Niwot Fly Fishing Club. "Mr. Chen does that, too," Springsteen said. "He's very, very passionate about fly fishing. He's taught me how to do that."

His plans for the future include studying for his pilot certification, and he is also considering a degree in radiology. If he chooses to pursue medical studies, Springsteen said he will consider programs at the University of Arizona or Colorado State University.