By Jack Streicher

Numerous students attending Mount Vernon High School are gifted at playing one or two instruments, but then you get to sophomore,  Maddy Steen. Steen has learned how to play and perform on five instruments (so far), including the alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, guitar, violin, and the mandolin. Her love and passion for music has been with her throughout her entire life, which led to her first instrument when orchestra was introduced as a third grader, the violin.

Steen has been living with music all throughout life, which began as a toddler when her dad would sing to her. Music shapes her personality. “I grew up in a musical household, music has played a big part in my life,” said Steen.

After learning to play the violin, Steen moved onto the alto saxophone, later followed by the guitar, mandolin, and baritone saxophone, in that order. Steen said that it takes her roughly a year to 18 months to be able to learn and perform well on a new instrument. She tries her hardest to practice an instrument once or twice a day for 20 to 30 minutes per session.

Out of all the instruments that Steen has mastered so far, she said that the guitar would have to be her personal favorite to jam out on, but the violin comes in a close second. “The guitar and violin are the most complicated out of the five instruments but for very different reasons,” said Steen. She went on to say that the guitar was most complicated for all the chords you have to maneuver, and the violin was complicated for all the tuning you have to do for the perfect sound.

Steen’s younger sister Ashlyn, a seventh grader at Mount Vernon Middle School also inherited the musical genes. She currently plays three instruments, the violin, flute, and guitar. Just like her older sister, Ashlyn also plans on expanding her variety of instruments.

Steen has only performed for a crowd once so far (not including band or orchestra). She chose to play her guitar at the pop show in the middle school auditorium. “It was a very exciting experience”,” and I plan on learning some more songs on my guitar so I can perform more later on in the future,” said Steen.

Steen doesn’t just plan on keeping her musical talents in high school, she plans on expanding her skills onto college. She also doesn’t want to just move onto college only making progress on one instrument, but all five of them. She wants to take every single one so she can practice on a daily basis and not lose where she left off. One of Steen’s major goals after high school is to minor in music while attending a college.

After graduating high school is when Steen plans on broadening her range of instruments. She stated that she plans on adding around two to four more instruments later on including the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, piano, and harp.

Steen commented that she wouldn’t be this involved and passionate about music and playing music if it wasn’t for her family and their support. “My parents got me started on music and have supported me all the way to where I am now,” said Steen. Steen added that her band, orchestra, and private lesson teachers have been really supportive and helpful.

Steen said that she has had a blast playing and learning new instruments and she is glad that she chose this path. She wants to encourage younger kids to try out an instrument because there is nothing to lose from it. “You can can only get positive things out of trying a new instrument, it won’t hurt you one bit,” said Steen.