Long Drives & the Drive to Succeed
James (left) and Finn (right) are graduating seniors of the MYS Symphony Orchestra and 12th graders at Cambridge-Isanti High School. James studies trombone with Dr. Phil Ostrander and Finn studies horn with Melissa Morey. Their band director is Justin Kennedy.
Through a series of unlikely choices, two Cambridge-Isanti High School seniors and Symphony Orchestra members are now poised to pursue bright futures in music performance. For James, playing the trombone started as a joke. From an early age, his mom—who was a professional singer and pianist—exposed him to music, particularly percussion instruments. “Ever since I was born she was like, ‘James you're going to be a percussionist,’” he recalls. But when it came time to start fifth-grade band, he lacked the piano experience required to join the percussion section. He pivoted in a way only a ten year-old would: “I picked the trombone because Goofy from Mickey Mouse played the trombone, and I just thought it would be a fun, silly instrument to play.” He had no intention of taking it seriously or continuing past middle school. Eight years later, his trombone chops are no laughing matter, and James plans to attend Lawrence Conservatory this fall to pursue a degree in Trombone Performance.
For horn player Finn, the journey was more intentional, but no less surprising in its outcome. After starting on trumpet, he was drawn to the sound of the horn and switched in eighth grade. He first learned about MYS through a clarinet player at his school, Tanya, who was then a member of Philharmonic Orchestra. He briefly considered auditioning after sophomore year but was hesitant about the cost. It wasn’t until the following summer, after meeting several MYS musicians at All-State camp, that he decided to try out. Even then, he was far from committed: “I was looking for audition experience, so I was pretty sure I would audition and not even go through with MYS,” he says. Upon learning he had been accepted into Symphony Orchestra—with a scholarship offer—he quickly changed course. After two seasons with MYS, Finn is headed to St. Olaf College to study Horn Performance—a path he had hardly imagined for himself.
With James also accepted into Symphony Orchestra the summer before junior year, the stage was set for a bond forged as much in a car as in the rehearsal hall. An hour’s drive stood between both of them and 8:30 AM rehearsals in Saint Paul. Asked how MYS has impacted their friendship, James puts it bluntly: “Well, being in a car for at least two hours every day is definitely going to do something to a friendship!” The more reserved of the two, he describes the unique dynamic of an early-morning carpool: “You're going to learn a lot about someone, oftentimes at their most vulnerable state—a.k.a. extremely tired.” He refers to his capacity for social interaction as his “social battery,” and two years of carpooling has expanded it to the point where he can “pretty much be around Finn forever now!” Finn, the more extroverted of the pair, jokes that he has experienced somewhat the opposite: “I feel like my social battery decreased because I’ve been with James so much . . . we’re slowly becoming the same person.” What began as their own weekly journey has helped broaden MYS’s reach within their small-town community—this season, several Cambridge-Isanti wind players made the same trek, including Repertory musicians Lydia (oboe), Emma (clarinet), and Grant (trombone).
This sense of camaraderie extends far beyond the carpool. Within the Symphony brass section, both James and Finn highlight a culture of encouragement, connection, and shared joy in music-making. “My first year was the best brass section that I've ever played with,” Finn recalls. “I remember just loving playing the Danzón and hearing [principal trumpet] Jack solo.” The relationships built offstage have become just as meaningful. “I love how close the brass is. We’ve always had a tradition that, before concerts, we’ll go hang out together. Being able to connect and then go perform together at Orchestra Hall has been the most memorable experience.” He also values his friendship with fellow horn player Keith: “I met Keith at All-State, but we never talked. I would say we're pretty close friends now.”
Remarkably, neither Finn nor James studied privately before joining MYS—an uncommon background for musicians of their caliber. Both credit the program with reshaping their trajectories. “I really only decided I wanted to major in music in junior year after I joined MYS,” James explains. “MYS was probably one of the final straws in me deciding that, yes, I’m going to major in music. I’ve built lots of great connections so that I can feel more equipped for going into the music world.” Finn echoes that sentiment: “Joining MYS was one of the best decisions I've made musically. I don’t think I would have gotten accepted into St. Olaf without the experience that MYS has given me.”
Yet for both musicians, the most lasting impact of MYS goes beyond repertoire, auditions, or even college acceptances. It’s about the people. “MYS definitely helped me realize that there's a lot of musicians out there, and how many different opportunities I'll be able to take,” Finn reflects. James puts it even more simply: “I want to be a musician because there's just so many great people here and I want to keep working with great people.” Their journeys may have taken unexpected turns, but through music—and through each other—they’ve discovered something enduring: the true value of music lies in the connections it creates.
