PBS Wisconsin Music & Arts

- My name is Elliot Lesperance.

I'm 16 years old and I go to Oregon High School.

I've been playing the marimba for about six years.

When I was five, I played piano, and then I gave it up to pursue marimba.

I like the marimba repertoire; it's vast.

And I love all the modern music and how expressive it is.

[marimba music] I chose to play Prism Rhapsody for this competition because it delves into so many different elements of music.

On top of that, it shows an incredible display of technical facility.

Prism Rhapsody was composed by Keiko Abe.

The harmonics of her compositions originate from more classical Japanese music, and she incorporates in Western classical music, and I love the fusion of those two elements.

I take lessons with Dr. Todd Hammes.

He is very creative and gives a lot of metaphors and descriptions for how phrases and shapes and all sorts of artistic elements work.

- What would you do to make this shape?

– Elliot: We're always talking about how to improve technique.

- Yeah, especially up here.

– Elliot: We're talking about art.

He doesn't just tell you to do things.

- It's the only note in the measure that... - Elliot: He explains things in a very deep way.

I love to spend time with my brother.

– Soren: Come on!

You!

Got!

This!

– Elliot: I'm a gym bro, for sure.

Sometimes we lift weights together.

Sometimes we play video games.

I take Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Studies with Ms. Jaeger.

She's always pushing us, always getting us to work on more challenging things.

[drumsticks clacking] I love playing drum set.

It has amazing versatility.

It can comprise the entire rhythmic base of a piece.

I also love working with the younger students and helping them.

I was talking to one of my younger percussionists today.

How about you don't worry about the notes?

He was hitting the nodes of the bar a lot, where the sound quality isn't as good.

So I helped him figure out how to play his part without hitting those nodes and while getting the best sound quality out of the instrument.

Good job!

Dr. Hammes came to me with the information about the competition a year ago.

He told me that he thought that I could do it.

And I didn't think that I could make it this far, but I worked on that a lot, and here I am.

[brisk marimba music] [audience applauding]