by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
LA PASSE — A La Passe teenager performed in the 2nd violin section of the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra this past Saturday night.
Travis Lammi, 13, was invited to be a student participant in the orchestra by his instructor Kirsten Waymann, who performs in the 1st violin section.
He recalled when Ms. Waymann asked him to become a student member a few months ago.
“I had to think about it,” he said. “It’s a big commitment.”
Travis also had to decide between competitive hockey and the orchestra. Last year, he was captain of the Muskrat Peewees.
So, he made a compromise – he played house league hockey and made the commitment to the PSO.
To prepare for the performance, Travis practised in various ways. While the PSO was only going to perform two pieces at the performance titled High 5’s, they were quite lengthy, Travis said. The first was Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto followed by Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The are each at least 20 minutes in length, he said.
“On the bus I would listen to the pieces and follow the music,” he said.
He also would practice at home and during each Thursday night lesson with Ms. Waymann.
This is Travis’ eighth year playing violin. He recalled while in Kindergarten, high school student Forrest Mahoney played for his class.
“I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he said.
To perform with the PSO, a student violinist must be at the Grade 7 level, which Travis is now in.
Saturday night, Travis recalled being “excited and nervous.” What made the first-time performance a bit easier was while sitting, he couldn’t see everyone in the audience.
“It was like another rehearsal,” he said.
However, he wasn’t dressed for rehearsal, having to wear a black suit and bow-tie for the performance.
“It was fun,” Travis said. “I really enjoyed it. With all the other instruments, it sounded good. If you make a mistake, the others will cover it.”
When asked if he made a mistake, he answered, “I don’t think I made a mistake.”
While he was the youngest performer, there were other student performers: Will March, Jana Lau, Emily Petrini-Woolley and Allyssa Bucholtz.
There are 15 sections in the PSO: 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone and percussion.
There are four more PSO concerts, but Travis isn’t too sure he’ll be able to perform in all of them. He will miss the Christmas Special and Loonie Tunes, which are December 10, 2016 and February 25, 2017, respectively. He’s planning to perform in the We Got Rhythm on April 8, 2017. As for the PSO Valentine’s Gala on February 14, 2017, he hasn’t made a final decision yet.
Travis will miss some of the performances due to preparing for his 7th time competing in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Pembroke, where he has done “very well” in the past.
Travis is also taking fiddle lessons from Louis Schryer. He noted he may have inherited some musical genes, as his father plays the guitar.
While he’s not sure if becoming a professional violinist or fiddler is in his future, Travis enjoys performing for crowds, whether large or small. He has performed at various events, including a wedding and Westmeath’s Canada Day.
