Our Students

Congratulations 2023 Graduates!

Aidan began his musical journey in earnest at the age of 6, when he picked up a violin for the first time. As a proud product of the Suzuki method, He was concertmaster of the All State HS Orchestra in 2022 and is current concertmaster of Kennebec Valley Youth Symphony. His greatest love, however, is chamber music, so he was delighted to be chosen for the DaPonte Honors Quartet along with his friends Sophia Scheck, Benjamin Rosenthal and William Xu! Aidan transferred from the program in Columbia, SC, to Pineland Suzuki School when he was 12 years old. Under the tutelage of Betsy Kobayashi, he went on to win Bay Chamber’s Young Stars of Maine Summer Strings award. Under the further instruction of Katherine Liccardo, with whom he currently studies, Aidan won the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition of 2021 and Bay Chamber’s Ezra Rachlin prize of excellence. In Pineland Capital Strings, he enjoys mentoring his fellow musicians and experiencing all sorts of performance opportunities he would not have otherwise. He adds, “And of course, the community is invaluable to me.” When not playing violin, Aidan enjoys hobbies such as jiu-jitsu, ice hockey, and volleyball. Aidan plans to continue his musical studies in college in the fall.

Oh man…. PSS has changed my life, and made me the person I am today. As long as I can remember I have always been drawn to the violin. I loved hearing the beautiful music it created whenever it came on the radio. The first time I picked up a violin, I was in awe. I was 8 years old and at a friend's house. They had a small ¼ violin. I began to furiously (and horrendously with no violin experience) play it while the adults in the room laughed and clapped. I exclaimed my passion for the violin on several occasions until my mom found the wonderful Maine fiddler Ellen Gawler, who said she was a teacher at Pineland Suzuki School. The environment of PSS was so welcoming and drew in my love for all things musical and fiddle, simple life, country and farm living. My lessons began at the houses of very generous parents who would let Ellen give violin lessons to her students all day. This is where I met some of my closest friends, who I would play with outside while waiting for a lesson, or see after group classes, or hang out with at the concerts. I am forever grateful. The community is very heartwarming and loving. I have currently played the violin for 10 years. My love for classical music is so high. I joined Capital Strings a few years ago and have had so many amazing opportunities, from playing special concerts all around central Maine, performing at our state Capitol, and preparing a tour to NYC. It’s a very nice accepting community who all share the same passion: to create and play beautiful music together. It has also made me grow so much as a violin player. It can get very busy as we are always learning something new or getting ready for another performance, but it is so worth it. I am taking a gap year next year before I go off to college, which I am pretty sure will be University of Maine at Farmington. I hope to join more orchestras, busk for college money, and play with Colby Orchestra from UMF! I’m so excited for where else violin will take me. Thank you, PSS, for everything!

Breckon started playing cello when he was nine years old, moving from Twinkle to Allegro Orchestra to Kennebec Valley Youth Orchestra (KVYO) and now KVYSO. He has studied with Jon Moody for almost two years. Breckon also attended New England Music Camp for three summers, where he played new orchestral repertoire every week, as well as several ensembles and solo recitals, while meeting friends from across the country. Pineland is always providing opportunities to play in higher and higher level ensembles with new and exciting music at every step. Although this is unfortunately his last year, he gets to do some great things and is particularly excited for the KVYSO's performance of the Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Breckon is currently in his senior year at Erskine Academy in China. He plans to enter college with a biology major to become a doctor, then specialize in psychiatry or neurology. From Lisa Davidson: After seeing the Pineland group perform at Granite Hill Estates where I worked in 2013, he knew that he wanted to be part of it. About a year or two before this he saw a group of fiddlers performing in the entrance at Shaw’s in Waterville, and he stopped in his tracks and watched the entire performance. As soon as he was able to talk, he would always ask to listen to classical music in the car. He always asked for WBACH. As a tiny infant he would keep time with his little foot in his car seat in the car listening to music even before he was big enough to crawl. It was clear from a very early age that music was his “thing.” Pineland’s programs gave him a place to excel and follow his passion! Breckon sees cello as a part of who he is and is planning to continue playing in college. The musical instruction that he received has helped to lead him to be a well-rounded, goal-driven young adult who will follow hispassion. Thank you all for all of your support and sharing your love for music! Mostly, thank you for teaching that hard work pays off.

Hello! I am Lucy Olsen and I have been playing violin at PSS for 10 years! Honestly, I cannot believe the amazing opportunities I have gained from PSS–not just the violin itself, but the amazing connections with people I have made along the way. If I had never done Suzuki violin, I would have never met the amazing friends I have today. It truly changed my life in all aspects. I would say the smartest decision I ever made was picking up the violin with my tiny hands at just 8 years old. Some of my biggest accomplishments are joining fiddle and being able to play at contra dances and social gatherings. It makes me really happy to be able to share my music with people. Through Suzuki violin I have been able to play at weddings, parties for people, fairs and even local businesses. Being able to perform on stage and play all the songs I know in Book 4 is amazing to me, too. It is always so satisfying playing the piece you know on stage and nailing it. I have fond memories of playing violin for people. Hopefully it had as much of a profound impact on them as it has on me. Next year after graduating from high school, I plan to take a gap year. I want to work full time, travel, and really explore what I want to do more as a career before going straight into college. I most definitely am interested in doing something with music; music is my life. Over the summer I want to do fiddle camp and become more a part of that community. I also want to keep doing Suzuki violin. My goal this summer is to get as far into Book 5 as I can. I want to explore more what I can do with music as a career as well. I love writing songs and expressing myself that way. Violin was honestly what made me who I am today. It was the thing that started my journey in life with music, something that makes me endlessly happy.

Owen started chasing his sister Madelyn around for a turn with her violin before he could talk. At 2.5 years old, he was set up with his first violin, home-made wrapped in brown paper, with a ruler for a fingerboard and a dowel rod for a bow. Owen began lessons with Betsy Kobayashi at four years old and joined the Pineland Fiddlers as soon as he was old enough, at seven. He played in multiple string ensembles over the years including Capital Strings, KVYS, Mozart Mentors Orchestra, Mid-Maine Youth Orchestra and had a great time at New England Suzuki Institute as well. It became clear, however, that traditional music was going to be Owen's true passion. Owen is the 2022 New England Regional Scottish Fiddle Champion, The 2021 Junior US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, won the Young Stars of Maine "Glenn Jenks Future in Music" prize from Bay Chamber Music School, and was selected for Best of All Things Irish from the Maine Irish Heritage Center. This year, Owen is completing an online project "50 Fiddlers from 50 States" which is available on YouTube and Facebook and his first album, Oh When: Now, will be out in April. Lots has changed since he first grabbed onto that margarine-box fiddle, but some things have stayed the same: his grin when he's holding the fiddle and his love of playing music with and for others! If you want to see what happens next for Owen, visit his website www.fiddlerokennedy.com or find him on social media at YouTube @fiddlerokennedy. Owen says: I love playing music! My advice: try traditional music–whether it's from New England, Quebec, Appalachia, Ireland, Scotland, etc. Playing traditional tunes gives you the opportunity to make the music your own within the style of the tune. Come up with variations, experiment with different ornaments, try double-stops, see what happens & have fun! I am so grateful for the technique and practice strategies that I learned from Betsy and for all the tunes, connections, opportunities, travel and JOY that I've experienced with Ellen.