Making her own Music

Senior Allie Mangel is a hardworking student who is involved in multiple after-school activities such as National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. She is constantly pushing herself to work as hard as she can, which is seemingly paying off seeing as she got a perfect score on the ACT.

Even though Mangel is exemplary in math and science, she has chosen to veer towards the fine arts path and pursue music.

The Voyager got a chance to sit down with this diligent student and ask her a few questions:

Q: What made you want to go into music?
A: Well, I’ve been doing academic things all my life, but music is something that I found that is really something I’m passionate about….Playing the violin is something I found that is difficult for me, and I know that no matter how much I work at it there will always be things to work on and things to get better at. That’s something that really intrigues me.

Q: Is the violin easy for you to play? Does it come naturally?
A: I don’t know how to answer that question because some people would say that it seems like it comes naturally to me, and I work hard… it’s easy for me here, but there’s a whole world of music players out there that are so much better than me. I’m kind of like in the middle of the pack when it comes to everybody else. It comes naturally to me, but it’s not easy.

Q: Did anyone inspire you to make this decision?
A: Actually, my best friend goes to Purdue University right now, and she has an older sibling. We used to have these things called sticker pieces where you had to learn a song or a solo piece and play it for one of the high schoolers who came to help out. They would critique you. My friend’s older sibling was one of those people… and they always told me, ‘You play the violin! Be proud!’ They were the ones that really inspired me to keep going.

Q: What did your family members think of your decision to go into music instead of the math or science field?
A: I am going into music, but I am planning on double majoring in something in math or science. They know that that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life and not do my job as an accountant.

Q: Are you minoring in math or science?
A: I have no idea. I put down on all my applications I am a music major, so I don’t really know. It’s more of a backup kind of thing. But my family is all engineers which is kind of funny. They are all really supportive of it. My mom is like ‘Make sure you have a backup because the music world is kind of difficult.’.”

Q: What college do you want to go to?
A: There’s a program at the Eastman school of music which is in Rochester, New York. They have a dual degree program between the school of music and the University of Rochester. So, I could be a music major at Eastman and still take classes and get a minor or major, if I decide to, at the University of Rochester at the same time.

Q: What about a backup? If you don’t get into Eastman, what’s your second option?
A: Well, I just had my audition for the University of Michigan, which is a great program. My brother goes there too.

Q: What did your friends think?
A: They don’t really think anything of it because all of us are trying to decide what we are doing right now. There are some people who are like ‘I’m definitely going to be an engineer!’ and others who are like ‘I may be going into econ.’ So, all of us have different interests, and we really don’t think twice about it.

Q: If you’re double majoring, what are the two things you are majoring in?
A: Probably mathematics.

Q: Are there any extracurriculars you participate in?
A: Yes! I do Mathletes, Chicago Symphony Youth Orchestra, National Honors Society, Tri-M Music Honors Society, French National Honors Society and Mu Alpha Theta Honors Society.

Q: What things are you looking forward to in college?
A: Everything! The ability to explore a new place, meet new people, and start a new chapter of life.