Micah and Ana Williams play violin as part of the Grandfriends Day celebration at Jackson Walnut Park School. Pilot photo/Wes Cipolla
NEWTON -- "It's fairly light," says Edward, a sixth grader at Jackson Walnut Park School in Newton, about the cello he's lugging on his back. "It's not that heavy. It's just very awkward to carry."
The instrument is about as big as he is. A cello's weight, he explains, depends on many different factors, including the type of wood the instrument is made of. Edward is a member of Jackson Walnut Park's recently formed orchestra, which will perform at Masses and concerts throughout the school year. He's been playing the cello for five years.
"It's a very fun instrument to listen to," he said. "I fell in love with it when I heard Yo-Yo Ma play at a concert."
He said being in the orchestra allows him to fulfil his "life's ambition." He might want to be a musician when he grows up, but he's also interested in chess and math.
"We wanted to expand the offerings for the students so that they could try out and use their different gifts and talents and explore new opportunities," said Lisa van Horne, the school's director of communications and external affairs.
Jackson Walnut Park has 228 pre-K to sixth-grade students between its Montessori early childhood program and its traditional elementary school. A handful of those students currently make up the orchestra. Sixth-grader Raymond, a violinist, likes being able to practice with his classmates.
"The thing I really liked about violin is how it really builds a sense of community, and how it really allows to meet other people, and also allows me to express my feelings in music," he said.
The idea for the orchestra came from six-year-old student Micah Williams, who has been playing violin for about a third of his life. He wanted to play at Mass, and on Nov. 21, he got his wish. The orchestra played during a school Mass honoring Native American Heritage Month and Grandfriends Day, an annual tradition at Jackson Walnut Park, where students' grandparents and other relatives are invited to visit the school. This year, the media were invited to attend.
"We believe that there's talent in every child," van Horne said. "We focus on teaching our students to love learning, love God, and love one another without distinction."
Micah and his three-year-old sister Ana played a duet for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston who attended Mass. Their order founded Jackson Walnut Park.
Micah played violin, and Ana played a cello built for her size. He also gave solo recitals of Vivaldi's "L'estro armonico" and "Jingle Bells." News cameras and microphones were pointed at his face, but Micah wasn't nervous.
"That was my best playing ever," he said.
"Such a young, charismatic tyke doing incredible music," said Parama Chattopadhyay, who helps teach math and music at the school.
When he finished his performance, Micah got a kiss from his mother, Shelly Williams.
"It's really magical," she said. "For them, they're not thinking about it being a difficult instrument. They just enjoy making music."
Micah started playing the violin after his mother took him to a concert by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Intensive Community Program, which provides music training to underserved communities. The four-year-old was moved to tears by the concert. When he first got his own violin, he hardly ever put it down. His parents would have to yell over his practicing just to be heard.
"I play the violin everywhere!" he said, adding, "I practiced so hard on it, the first violin I got. And then, I got my second violin."
He's now on his third, and he plays viola on the side.
"I feel like Micah is really unusual," Williams said. "I feel like a kid like Micah comes along every now and then, and he just happens to come into our house. He's got a real passion for it, a real gift for it."
Ana started playing the cello after following her brother to music lessons.
"Mommy, that's what I want," she said after seeing a cello performance.
Cellos were expensive, but after a year of Ana begging to play, her parents found a program that gave her a baby-sized instrument.
When he's not playing the violin, Micah is full of energy. He smiled and mugged for the cameras. He practices for an hour each day and wants to be a professional musician when he grows up.
"I want my sound to always be beautiful," he said.