Fine Arts Student of Week: Junior makes the most out of first year in Chamber Orchestra

Ethan Cerney

Grade: Junior.

Age: 17

Art focus: Brainerd High School Chamber Orchestra.

Adviser nomination: “Ethan is an excellent violinist in the Chamber Orchestra at Brainerd High School. He is always on time for class, well prepared, learns his parts, and does his very best in class. It has been both a pleasure and honor to have him in my orchestra class this year!”

Memorable fine arts achievement: Doing my first concerts with Ripple River Strings in seventh grade .

Why did you decide to play violin? I got it right before sixth grade. It was something I always was thinking about that I've wanted to try and play the violin. I didn't know what it would be like. And then I just tried and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t try any other instruments.

I thought the violin was cool with how you use a bow on strings and how it all worked. I tried it and have been playing it ever since.

What do you like the most about it? I think probably playing with others and doing concerts is really fun. When you put all the different instruments together it makes a really cool sound. ... Learning how to play the violin was pretty easy. In the beginning there were a lot of things you had to work on in practice, but it was pretty easy.

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What has been the most challenging in playing the violin? I think it definitely was starting Chamber Orchestra this year. I've had to learn a lot of things on my own to catch up with everyone else because I'm new.

Is distance learning tough to do with Chamber Orchestra? I think it was tougher last year, as we didn't know what to do at first (when sent home because of COVID-19). But this year it is more planned and organized so we can do things like sectionals, which I think works pretty well. We don’t get to hear each other play together, as we are playing separately in Google Meets. We mute ourselves and listen to the director play and play along.

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I think personally, doing the hybrid model was harder for all the classes. We had to go to school and do online at the same time, so now with the full distance learning we work on our own and with the teachers and do it at our own pace.

Artist most admired: Mozart.

Other fine arts activities: I play piano outside of school. I’ve played piano for seven years.

Dream job: Something in the medical field.

Favorite movie: “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

Favorite TV show: “Outer Banks.”

Favorite book: “The Honest Truth.”

Favorite song: “Lights Are On,” by Tom Rosenthal.

Favorite band: The Lumineers.

Favorite restaurant: Boulder Tap House.

Favorite subject: Spanish.

Perfect meal: Enchiladas and rice.

Biggest pet peeve: People who talk during movies.

Sports/clubs: Eco Club.

Hobbies: Piano, fishing, biking and painting.

Parent’s names and city you live in: Angela Cerney and Ryan Cerney, Fort Ripley.

JENNIFER KRAUS may be reached at jennifer.kraus@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.