Illuminated by the golden light of Carnegie Hall, Sophomore Catherine Ruan ran her fingers across the black and white keyboard, filling the concert venue with flawless musical notes. The audience clapped in approval as she concluded her performance.
“Playing the piano is a whirlwind of contradictions because there’s a sense of being both admired and criticized onstage,” Ruan said. “I embrace playing piano for what it is and I play because I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and showing the instrument’s potential to world.”
Ruan began playing piano around age five. She participated in the Certificate of Merit program, which consists of ten levels designed to evaluate students’ understanding of music theory, performance and listening.
At first, playing piano was just another way to appease her parents, but the instrument eventually found its way to Ruan’s heart as she developed her musical skills and advanced to higher levels. Ruan completed level 10 in eighth grade and started focusing on recitals and competitions.
She entered her first competition at the American Fine Arts Festival and was one of the winners. The prize was to play at the Carnegie Hall concert venue in New York.
“At Carnegie Hall, I was filled with excitement and nerves,” Ruan said. “My favorite part was performing for everyone as well as meeting so many wonderful people with similar interests.”
She practices about 15 minutes a day, using her musical skills as a stress reliever as well as a hobby. In the future, she plans to participate in more piano competitions.
“As a friend, I think her piano accomplishments have made her more confident,” Junior Luanne Tan said. “Not only that, it also changed her in a way that made a positive impact on those around her. She became more social and friendlier to everyone.”
TCHS School Newspaper