Recently, Piper Wolfe accomplished a goal that most have only dreamt of: she played saxophone in the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Music has been a part of Piper’s life since before she can remember, and she was extremely qualified to audition for the largest youth orchestra in the Pittsburgh area. It is made up of students from over 36 school districts, private schools, and home-schooled musicians in the tri-state area.
Piper’s exposure to music started before she was a year old when she started classes through Kindermusik. Kindermusik is a music program intended to nurture joy and confidence using the power of music. Piper began these courses in Colorado, where she was born. Sarah Wolfe, Piper’s mother, was excited to share that Kindermusik classes are now offered in Waynesburg by Jodi Rohanna at In Motion Dance Studio.
Piper developed an interest in the saxophone in the fourth grade through the band program at Waynesburg Central Elementary School. The band is instructed by Mr. Jason Falvo. Piper chose to play the saxophone in part because several members of the family have played saxophone in various bands.
In fifth grade, Piper was chosen to play at the Crimson Hawk Elementary Band Summit at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Four hundred Pittsburgh area students in the fifth and sixth grade were gathered into four different bands. The students were given music to rehearse and perform later that evening. Sarah mentions several other local students participated in this event: Kaleena Humphreys played flute, Neveah Yeager played clarinet, Carter Mason played trumpet, and Lanon Hogue played percussion.
Piper auditioned for the orchestra after Mr. Falvo encouraged her to try out. Auditions are held both in person or virtually. Because of a scheduling conflict, Piper auditioned virtually. The audition process requires that the musicians play a few assigned pieces of varying levels, several specific concert scales, and to perform a classical solo of their choice from a list of options.
Piper was chosen to participate in the orchestra’s Season’s Celebrations Concert. The concert consisted of five ensembles that played approximately four songs each. Piper is in the Prelude Band Ensemble and they performed Wintertide, Oogie Boogie’s Song, Sing We Now of Christmas, and Sugar Plum Samba. Family and friends filled the audience in support of Piper’s December performance. Piper and her family appreciate all the encouragement she has received from the Greene County community.
Piper was honored to be a part of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and her mother Sarah shares how very proud that she and her family are of Piper’s hard work and dedication to the program. She says that every October through April, Piper’s band rehearses every Saturday for two hours. “It is a joy to see Piper participating and growing in something that she enjoys,” Sarah says. Her regard for her daughter is so clear to see.
Piper will be participating in two more upcoming Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, one in February, and one in April.