Festival Hill Summer Institute

Festival Hill Summer Institute

The Fayette County Record

Flutist Joanna Lau did not choose what she considers to be the “standard path” for a passionate musician. Having a love for both music and academics, Lau decided to pursue both in her collegiate career. Lau is a senior neuroscience major at Harvard University while also participating in several orchestras.

“I like having sort of a break from music sometimes,” said Lau. “It makes me appreciatemusic more.”Balancing both academics and a path in music can be tough. Alongside studying neuroscience, Lau enjoys creative writing, academic tutoring, and teaching private music lessons.

“I will say, definitely, not going down the standard path for music has been a little challenging because I feel like I’ve had to take more initiative myself than, let’s say, if I were in a conservatory. I always find it challenging at Harvard to find time for myself, to carve out practice time,and to really commit myself to it because it’s not what most people are doing.”

This summer, Lau is a part of the summer orchestra at Festival Hill, giving her a chance to focus on her music and surround herself with sound.

“Orchestra’s so much fun. I just love sort of being in the center of so much sound and feeling like I still, sometimes, have a soloistic role within that.”

Lau is no stranger to the world of orchestra, having participated in the Harvard Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Learning under various mentors and playing alongside a wide range of other musicians has been a highlight of Lau’s orchestral experience. Her experience with the orchestra this summer has been a unique experience in some ways.

“I will say, one thing that I really love about here [Festival Hill] is just getting that part rotation,” said Lau. “You get to play a different wind part every week which I didn’t always get in the orchestras at home.”

Lau has participated in various unique experiences within the music world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lau played music for virtual bedside concerts. The concerts consist of Lau playing music and interacting with hospital patients via video chat.

“People really appreciate it, and it’s really rewarding and heartwarming to see them,” said Lau. “It’s nice because it’s interactive, whereas, like a normal concert, you might not talk to your audience at all.”

Lau and other musicians in the orchestra ended the summer festival with a final performance on July 16 at Festival Hill. For information about future performances go tohttps://festivalhill. org/.

Photo by MaKenzie Givan