Kate Hiller interview

     Freshman journalism major Kate Hiller got involved in the Symphony Orchestra after coming to Ohio University. But she did not only play in high school--she has played the violin for the past nine years.

     Hiller decided to try playing in fourth grade. A friend who had played since he was three years old inspired her. As it turns out, his mother would be one of her music teachers later in life.

     Hiller stuck with the violin throughout high school; however, she did not play for her own school's orchestra because she and her director did not get along. Instead, Hiller played for the Suzuki Music Columbus Touring Group, a group giving young students "great opportunities," according to Hiller, to learn music. Students from eleven (11) to eighteen (18) years old practice for a few hours per week, and some of them even learned music by ear.

     But one of the biggest opportunities Hiller had from her experience with the group was a trip to Peru this past March. She recalls exploring, shopping, trying new food and even bargaining in spanish with them. She also says that the trip taught her a lot about culture and independence, because she went without her family.

     As Hiller moved on to Ohio University, she looks back on her years with the Suzuki Music Columbus Touring Group.

     She says, "It taught me the power of repetition. We play music over and over to memorize it, and now I translate that to my studies."

     Hiller currently plays for the OU Symphony Orchestra, which she auditioned for at the beginning of the semester. But while she enjoys playing, the orchestra has been very time-consuming for a non-major. Hiller is unsure whether or not she can continue.

     She says, "I don't know what the future looks like. I don't want to stop because it's such a big part of my life that I can't drop it. But it's not the biggest part of my life."