Freshmen College Alumni Reflect on the CMPI Experience

by Alumni Parent Lorie Estanislao

CMPI Alumni were surveyed to share their journeys as a fellow and after graduating from high school. They were asked what they were doing professionally and if they are continuing your education. Freshmen alumni Guadalupe Ramirez, Diego Gomez, Mahalia Hernande, and Mateo Estanislao responded to the survey with their thoughts.

First, they were asked what they were up to and what role music plays in their lives.

Guadalupe shared that she is studying oboe at the University of Illinois. This is her first semester.

Diego is a freshman at Illinois State University, majoring in Music Education and Music Therapy. He loves learning as much as he can about music and tries to include music as much as possible in his life. Diego likes taking extra classes like guitar or composition class, and most of all, performing!

Mahalia is currently a Freshman majoring in Violin Performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. So far music has been the main focus in her life; from personal lessons to orchestra, it has been keeping her busy and it has been the center of her social life, schooling, and attention.

Mateo is a first year performance major at the DePaul School of Music and is studying with Alex Hanna. Music is a daily part of his life through practicing, listening, and performing.

CMPI Memories

Guadalupe’s favorite memory was working with Anne Bach in a masterclass. “I loved her teaching style and the way she explained things, and I still have the blue ribbons she gave me.”

Diego shared that his favorite memories were performing in fantastic halls and places, specifically performing at Symphony Center during Open House Chicago. “It was my first time performing as a soloist for the public. It was a lot of fun just performing and getting to meet other fellow CMPI fellows.”

Mahalia adds that her favorite memory from CMPI was hanging out with the other fellows in the organization before a recital. “It felt nice to connect with people that have the same interests as me, and it was fun to learn about each of their respective instruments.”

Lastly, Mateo said traveling to Cincinnati to play in the Equity Arc National Pathways Festival Orchestra was his favorite memory. “That was the first time I got to connect with other CMPI fellows and play with amazing musicians.”

Advice for Future CMPI Students Applying to College

“Go for it! Share your music for all of the colleges to hear!” Guadalupe enthusiastically responded.

Diego’s advice would be to start working now. “It can be easy to feel intimidated or lost while thinking about college, but it really begins right now by making little steps each day. If you focus on just getting a little better each day, and really focus, by the time you reach college you’ll be confident in your abilities.”

Mahalia’s thoughts were, “in order to succeed, you need full dedication. You may be talented, but success in music is measured more by dedication and passion, such as how smartly you practice or how considerate you are towards your teacher’s advice.”

Mateo recommends “study[ing] with a private teacher if that’s feasible for your financial situation. Having structured guidance every week will make learning significantly more efficient. If that’s not possible, then listen and learn from the masters of your instrument. While it’s not perfect, watching videos can help you teach yourself by giving you a professional reference to strive for.”

Surprises at the College Level

What surprised Diego was “how much improvement can be done with proper focus and discipline. Most of the work is done in the practice room…the challenge comes from getting yourself to the practice room; you have to be efficient in your practicing.” He also shared that “really focused, purposeful, and informed practice is much different, and more efficient, then just repetition. You can’t just play because you have to. Going in with a goal and understanding how to achieve them is so important and will allow you to see much faster improvement in yourself.”

Mahalia shared that what surprised her was how nice people in college are. “I feel like among high school classical musicians, there tends to be a lot of competition. Once musicians attend college, there is a change of that competitive narrative from high school. College is a time when people are most vulnerable as well as being stuck in the same place as many other people who are of different playing levels.”

For Mateo it was how commuting is simultaneously stressful and easy. It’s stressful because of the physical stress of getting less sleep and being awake for so many hours. However, “it becomes a habitual routine that prepares me for the day.”

Final Thoughts

Guadalupe is “so grateful and blessed to have been a part of CMPI. They’ve played a significant part in my musical successes.”

Mateo added to “take advantage of any additional time you may have on your hands. Completing academic work on time or early will ultimately free up time for practicing. Also, put effort into writing concert reports. If you attend a university music program, you will have to write much more than you expect. Practicing good writing habits now will make the transition to college much easier.”

We thank Guadalupe, Diego, Mahalia and Mateo for taking the time to share their experiences. Your thoughtful responses were insightful and full of wisdom.