Students turn passion into a business
Having a business that provides a service is one thing, but playing instruments while balancing clubs and homework is another.
Sophomore Michael Kowalke, junior Sarah Suleiman, and seniors Maddie Edwards and Jack Hanlon do just that. These students are apart of an orchestra quartet “All Strings Attached”.
“I formed the quartet in 2015 after I was asked to play at a wedding. The original members enjoyed the experience so much, that we decided to become a business,” Edwards said. “Three of the four original members have since graduated and are no longer able to perform. The new group was formed this year.”
The quartet has played for over 30 events, including weddings, nursing homes, churches, and cancer benefits. “All Strings Attached” usually decides the music beforehand, but they do honor requests and practice for the event.
“We each individually practice 2-3 hours a day,” Suleiman said. “We practice once to twice a week and go over the music right before the event.”
Suleiman and Edwards play the violin, Kowalke plays the viola, and Hanlon plays the cello.
“We have all been playing our instruments for 8 years and more,” Suleiman said.
These busy student musicians are highly involved in orchestra. They all are apart of Advanced Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra at school, and Edwards and Kowalke are in quartets for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Youth Orchestra. Edwards and Suleiman also play in the pit for the school spring musical.
“The only challenge we have faced is that we have to balance many different activities in all of our schedules, but we've always made it work,” Kowalke said.
The students take pride that each member brings something to the group, both musically and with their personalities.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know each other. We now know each other as musicians better,” Suleiman said. “We see with excitement a long future ahead, with so much still to discover and learn. Not just about the music, but ourselves.”
Connect with “All Strings Attached”:
Instagram @allstringsattachedquartet
Email: AllStringsAttachedQuartet@gmail.com
Facebook: All Strings Attached Quartet
Student Spotlight: Alexia Wojciechowski
With a passport in hand and a desire to learn, the world is full of possibilities. Crown Point High School senior Alexia Wojciechowski had this experience first hand on a ten day trip to Italy June 12th-22nd.
“I went with Crown Point High School’s Latin club. And along with us, several other schools from around the state who are part of the Indiana Junior Classical League came as well. In total, there were about 42 people, including teachers and chaperones,” Wojciechowski said.
Wojciechowski completed her third year of Latin at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Latin class helped her identify nearby landmarks and historical sites.
“We arrived to Italy at Rome’s airport and went to our first hotel which was located in the heart of Rome,” Wojciechowski said. “After five nights in Rome, we went on a bus towards southern Italy and visited Naples, as well as Ostia during the day. Then, we went to Sorrento and we stayed at a convent until the end of our trip. While in Sorrento, we made trips to Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, and the island of Capri.”
Although Wojciechowski and her peers did not know Italian, that did not stop them from making the most of their trip.
“It would be nice to have known Italian because I feel it would have allowed me to further immerse myself in the culture, but that being said, most Italians who lived in the areas we visited, which were very touristy, knew basic English and were easy to communicate with,” Wojciechowski said. “If I were to go to Italy again, I would probably take an Italian class first.”
Italian culture is different in many aspects, especially the food, Wojciechowski noted.
“In Italy it is traditional to eat a smaller breakfast and lunch, and then eat a huge dinner with an appetizer, first course, second course, and dessert. I definitely got a lot of weird looks from the Italian waiters and waitresses when I would only eat half of my first course,” Wojciechowski said. “Another weird part about their culture was that crosswalks did not really exist and it was up to you to just walk across the street, as vespas and smart cars slammed on the breaks to let you pass.”
Wojciechowski would not hesitate to return to Italy.
“If I had the opportunity, I would leave tomorrow. From this experience I learned so much about how people live outside of America which is something I would not really know otherwise,” Wojciechowski said.
What’s coming up at CPHS:
CPHS’s freshmen orientation “Bulldog Rush” will take place on August 11th. This event allows incoming freshmen to familiarize themselves with the high school before all four grades meet for the start of the 2017-2018 school year. Upperclassmen from clubs and sports teams will assist by taking groups of freshmen around the school to different sessions that explain how CPHS operates. This gives freshmen a chance to ask questions and find their classes around the school in order to prevent any bumps in their transition.
The 2017-2018 school year is set to start on Thursday, August 17th. The first football game of the season is away at Lowell on Friday, August 18th. Parent open house is Monday, August 28th from 6-8 p.m.