Ellie Zupancic, a senior at Pleasant Valley, is involved in many things in the community such as politics and drama, but her real passion is music. Zupancic has been involved in multiple different music groups throughout her years.

What instrument(s) do you play?

Clarinet is my primary instrument! I’ve taken piano lessons on and off and spent some time on the violin last year, but nothing serious aside from clarinet. I also sing in PV’s chamber choir.

How long have you been playing clarinet?

Seven years.

What is your favorite kind of music?

Classical when it comes to playing, but aside from that, I listen to a lot of music genres like alternative pop or rock, indie, jazz, rap, electronic, etc.

What kind of  musical programs have you been involved in at PV and outside of PV?

I’ve been in PV’s wind symphony all three years, different choir ensembles the past two years, and also participate in our full orchestra and musical pit orchestra. Outside of PV, I play in the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra. Just this past summer I was accepted to the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and got to study for a month in Tennessee under clarinetist and professor, Chad Burrow.

What other activities do you enjoy doing?

I like to write poetry, ride my bike, try new restaurants, and spend time with friends.

Do you write any of your own music?

During my junior year I was enrolled in Intro to Music Theory and this year I am taking AP Music Theory. I’ve had a few projects and finals where composition is a facet of what we must turn in. Much of the AP test also calls for part-writing where we do a lot with writing music. Otherwise, I haven’t don’t much music writing on my own. We will see in college!

Do you plan on continuing your music career in college?

Yes, I will be minoring in Music and hopefully singing and playing clarinet in ensembles at the University of Iowa.

What are your other plans for college?

I will be majoring in Political Science.

Do you have any music inspirations or favorite artists?

I’ve gotten to play some of the most magnificent pieces with the QC Youth Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Symphony, and at the camp I went to. Some of the best pieces I have gotten to perform are by Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Ibert, and Shostakovich. I’m inspired so much by music, and often by the people I get to play with or the people under which I perform, such as Dr. Benjamin Klemme and Maestro Mark Russell Smith. My teachers here at the high school, and even the ones I had through elementary or junior high, had such big impacts on me and are the main reasons I stuck with it. I am fortunate that music has had such a big impact on my life thus far and am looking forward to continuing with it the next several years.