Warwick Valley artist of the week: Lorenza Brennie

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Warwick Valley artist of the week: Lorenza Brennie

October 18, 2019

“It’s not just math and science that help you learn. Music is pretty much the same.” 

Lorenza Brennie with her fluteSanfordville Elementary fourth-grade Lorenza Brennie is a budding flutist with big aspirations, one of them being starting a family flute tradition.

For the short-term, though, she’s taking her time learning the basic skills of flute playing and being a part of the school’s fourth-grade band. 

“She is a proud member of the flute section and is quickly learning all the skills necessary to begin this exciting new chapter in her life at Sanfordville,” said music teacher Ryan Muehlbauer. “Lorenza enjoys learning new things on the flute, exploring her talent, and especially enjoys when everyone gets to play together.  Right now she is working on learning to read music and play her first notes. Lorenza is establishing herself as a young leader by always giving her best effort, assisting others and asking questions when something is challenging.”

Stacy Fitzgerald, her fourth-grade teacher, added: “Lorenza has always been a wonderful music student She’s engaged in every activity, always ready to answer questions, demonstrates and tries her very best. She’s a friendly and outgoing young lady and a hard-worker who loves to help her classmates. She comes to music with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude and readiness to learn new things.”

For these reasons, Lorenza is this week’s Warwick Valley student artist of the week.

Like other students, Lorenza tried three different instruments at the end of the last school year, with teachers ultimately selecting the flute — an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening — for her.

A flutist…like mom

“I was so excited to know I would be playing the flute,” said Lorenza. “I told my mom and she told me that she played the flute when she was in school. I thought that maybe my mom could help me. She plays for me sometimes and shows me what it sounds like. It’s kind of cool. You can learn from someone who did the same thing. It just sounds so beautiful when she plays.”

Through her lessons with Mr. Muehlbauer, she’s already learned notes and new melodies. The first song she played was “Hot Cross Buns,” (a reminder of her old “recorder days”) to reinforce how to  synchronize notes. She’d like to eventually learn to play “Let It Go” and “Jingle Bells” on her instrument. 

Lorenza Brennie with her fluteAt the same time, Lorenza and other students with different instruments are learning to play together as a band, with their first group performance scheduled for next March.

“It’s just crazy how I loved it (playing with the band) and how we sounded,” she said. “We were loud. Very loud. We have work to do because we are all learning how to play together and learning how to get that ‘good’ sound. It makes me happy that I get to play with everyone else. Even though we’re all playing the same note, it sounds different, because we’re all different.”

Many benefits to music

Like others, Lorenza realizes music is an important part of life, and keeps a hip-hop playlist of songs available for her to listen to during her downtime.

“Music keeps me happy,” said Lorenza, who also likes to dance.  “You can always have it right there, with you. And, music helps your brain too, because you’re learning different sounds. It’s not just math and science that help you learn. Music is pretty much the same.” 

Lorenza felt playing an instrument had other benefits as well.

“You’re being more skillful with yourself,” she added. “It’s also a fun activity. You learn new things and get to share that with everyone.”

 Lorenza, who is interested in becoming a designer or architect, likes playing the flute so much that she plans to continue it in middle school, high school and beyond.

That “beyond” may even extend to when she’s an adult and has her own daughter. While that’s a long, long time down the road, Lorenza said it would be great if a future daughter played the flute.

“I would say to her, ‘Did you know your grandmother played the flute and she was really good?’” she said. “This would be like starting a family tradition.”   

 

 

 

 

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