NHS Graduate Follows Her Love Of Music

Through Europe And Beyond

By Eliza Hallabeck

At 3½ years old, Lindsey Jones knew she wanted to play the violin; now 18 years old, she knows she wants to continue her musical career.

On July 6 Lindsey, a 2008 Newtown High School graduate, flew back with 103 other members, chaperones, and conductors of the Norwalk Youth Symphony from a tour of Europe. During the tour the group played concerts in Prague in the Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria, and Salzburg in Austria.

The tour also brought the group through other European towns and cities, which included Budapest, Eisenstadt, Danube Cruise, and Melk.

Lindsey said other than the performances, her favorite part of the trip was being able to tour a salt mine in Salzburg. The group dressed in white jump suits, and went down to see the mine, she said. There was a river, according to Lindsey, and the group had to cross it to see the mine.

“We did a lot,” said Lindsey. She said the trip was exciting, because the group got to experience Europe while playing music.

On the last day in Salzburg the Norwalk Youth Symphony rented bicycles for the entire group, and, Lindsey said, everyone was allowed to go where they wanted to go.

The hardest part about the tour, according to Lindsey, was fact that the members could not bring their own instruments with them. Everywhere they went to perform they were given new instruments. Lindsey said the space in-between performances was hard, because it was the longest time she has ever gone without playing her instrument.

Playing for European audiences is different than playing for American audiences, according to Lindsey.

“Their understanding of their music is definitely different,” she said.

During the performance in Prague, she said, the audience reacted enthusiastically to European songs, but when an American song was played they started clapping during a pause in the middle.

“They were just getting into their songs more, because they know the music,” Lindsey said. 

She said one of her friends in her section had no difficulty picking out one member of the audience from each performance that was being affected by the music. The friend did this for fun, but, Lindsey said, it was just easy to notice how much the audience enjoyed the music.

Her favorite destination on the trip was Salzburg, which was the last place the group stayed and performed at. This was the only place, according to Lindsey, the group was allowed to venture out separately. At all other moments the group traveling for the Norwalk Youth Symphony remained together, even on the flight back when all 103 people sat on the same plane to return to the United States.

This was not Lindsey’s first trip to Europe to perform; she went to Italy with the Newtown High School Band in 2006. She said both trips helped her to realize how much she loves to play music.

Lindsey started playing with the Norwalk Youth Symphony when she was in fifth grade. The program is open to students as young as the fourth grade. The Norwalk Youth Symphony was founded in 1956 to provide practice, training, and performance opportunities that enable the students in the community to grow as musicians. This was Lindsey’s last year with the symphony, but she said she is looking back on the last eight years fondly.

Prior to practicing with the Norwalk Youth Symphony, Lindsey learned her talent for the violin at the Suzuki Talent Education School in Sandy Hook. It was at Suzuki that Lindsey choose to play the violin.

The Suzuki Talent Education School was founded in 1977 in South Britain, and in 1987 it was opened in Sandy Hook. It now provides music education to more than 100 children.

“As far as I can remember, I have always played violin,” said Lindsey.

When her violin instructor in high school told her she should apply to Western Connecticut State University, she did. Lindsey has already made her schedule for her fall classes, and, she said, she will be taking eight courses.

“There’s a lot that you have to do as a music major,” said Lindsey.

Lindsey said she can write music for the piano, but as a music major at WestConn she will have to refine her skills at playing the piano also. After college she expects to move to New York City, because she has always loved the atmosphere. She hopes to find a job there.

“I just want to play music,” said Lindsey.

During high school Lindsey said she worked at maintaining a balance in her life. She said she knows musicians that play for eight hours a day, and other things start to slip for them. One of her friends developed shoulder problems from practicing music for too long, and has since discovered a love for journalism.

Lindsey made the honor roll this past semester, and, according to her mother, always got good grades in school.

Now that her playing for the Norwalk Youth Symphony is over, Lindsey said she is practicing the violin for the summer before starting her freshman year at WestConn. She also babysits, catsits and teaches violin in town.

She starting teaching violin when a family contacted her music teacher, she said. Lindsey was recommended, and now she is finding herself repeating things that her instructors have told her all of her life.

“The importance of practice is more clear to me after teaching a student,” said Lindsey. She said it brought back memories from when she was learning.

Linda Jones, Lindsey’s mother, said she is excited to see Lindsey continue playing music.

“[The tour] was exciting, because this was a group of kids who are really advanced musicians,” said Ms Jones.

Ms Jones said she wanted Lindsey to start playing music when she was younger, because Ms Jones herself loves music. A friend told her about the Suzuki Talent Education School, and Ms Jones looked into it right away.

As a musician “these are the things you get to do,” said Ms Jones, “and these are wonderful musicians.”