Within the harmonies of the violin, Rebecca Martinez, a junior at Sahuaro, shares how violin and being in the orchestra have played an important role in her life. Rebecca’s journey in orchestra began because “…my sister played in the Sahuaro orchestra when I was younger,” she explained. “My music journey started pretty young. I grew up in a very music-focused family so it was a necessity to love music,” and from that moment, fascination overtook her brain and turned into a passion for the music world.

Starting in the fourth grade, Rebecca started her musical journey that would shape her identity in many ways. While she explored other instruments like the piano and guitar, it was the violin that captured her heart. “My main instrument is the violin and to be honest it wasn’t my first choice,” she admitted, “but I love how it looks and how elegant it sounds.” Her favorite musical genre is jazz, but unfortunately, it is not played often on violin.

Rebecca sees orchestra as an artistic medium where she pours her soul and shares her talents with everyone. Despite the academic challenges, she effortlessly balances her schoolwork with her passion. “It’s not hard to balance my school work with orchestra,” she confides. “I find time on the weekends, usually, or other days to practice, but it usually isn’t much of a conflict.”

Rebecca finds herself inspired by Scott Tixier, a jazz violinist and professor who embodies an innovative spirit and boundary-pushing skill that illuminate the path of creative exploration. In her free time, she enjoys baking and drawing, She loves to draw because it’s her main way of expressing herself, it’s different than expressing herself in orchestra. For baking, she loves giving gifts to people and baked goods are a great way to share her love.

As she reflects on her musical memories, she reminisces about the transcendent experience of playing in the honors orchestra in fifth grade.”If I had to pick just one memory, I’d probably choose to play in the honors orchestra in fifth grade,” she recalls fondly. “Playing in a big orchestra filled with students from all over Tucson, meeting other orchestra teachers, and being a part of this big collective sound was awesome.” Although she has been in the music industry for about seven years, she shares she won’t continue her career in orchestra. “For my future, I do not plan on going in a music direction,” she reveals. “As much as I love music, I love science. So my goal is just to continue orchestra in high school and play the best I can now.”

As this phase of her music path ends, Rebecca’s determination stands as evidence of the profound impact of artistic expression. While her journey might take new directions, orchestra and the violin will always hold a special place in her heart and will continue to resonate.