BY PARKER STALVEY, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD-- The stage is set and Rikki George walks onto the stage. The crowd applaudes and she sits down and begins to play.
Rikki George, a freshman at Blythewood High School, is a very talented young musician.
She loves to challenge herself while playing the violin and has very lofty expectations. But George knows success cannot happen without hard work and dedication.
“I have a routine when I get home; homework first, then at 7 p.m. I practice for an hour,” George said.
Twice, she has made it to Tri District Arts Consortium, a summer program for talented orchestra students, and this season she has high hopes to earn a coveted chair in the Regional Orchestra.
Starting to play
George is very petite in stature and when she thinks back to her first experience with the violin, she jokingly laughs and comments on how awkward it was to properly hold instrument and how difficult it was to operate the bow.
“I started playing because it was something that seemed pretty interesting to me and I love being able to play an instrument that not many people can play,” she recalls.
George also played in the school orchestra while attending Blythewood Middle.
She enjoys playing concerts because it gives her a chance to show her family how far she has come with her talent, and they appreciate the hard work she has put into it.
She mentions playing with the school orchestra has made her a much better violinist.
In class they have open critiques where she and other classmates are allowed to make suggestions on sound and technique.
These critiques help all players become more aware of their instruments and encourages them to be better musicians, George said.
Playing for friends and family
She also enjoys playing for her family at family gatherings and at her church.
George’s parents encourage her to play the violin, they are also her biggest fans.
“They wanted me to play it because they wanted me to be more active in something other than just school,” George commented, smiling while remembering.
When she is not playing she enjoys being with friends.
“Rikki is a loyal and great friend, she always has your back. She is very energetic, and she is diligent in her work and conscious about her grades. Her smiles and her laughs are contagious and she is a friend to everyone. My favorite thing about her is her laugh! Even if she is the only one laughing, everyone will eventually join in. Rikki is also very confident in herself, I am so proud of her!” said Ansley Stone, friend, fellow freshman and cellist with the Blythewood High orchestra.
“She is a very talented violinist and she has a lot of potential. Rikki is also very smart and a great student. She is a very kind and caring friend,” said Allison Tracy, friend, and fellow freshman violinist in the BHS orchestra.
George’s other interest include running, shopping and learning Spanish, but playing the violin is her driving passion.
At school, she can often be seen practicing Spanish or chatting and helping her fellow classmates.
And although this freshman might be one of the smallest in her class, the loud sound of her violin along with her big personality makes her a BHS student who is hard not to notice.
Finally, she concludes her piece. Then stands toward the crowd as the curtains close and the crowd applauds.
