Amanda Schubert, violin

16 years

I love the enthusiasm and friendliness of the TSO musicians.

I first got interested in music when I was a very little girl. I observed my dad, my brother, and my little friends playing violin, so naturally that’s what I wanted to do. I started violin lessons when I was three years old.

My teachers: my dad Lacy McLarry; Shinichi Suzuki; Norman Paulu and the Pro Arte String Quartet

Director of the Suzuki Academy of Waco; Suzuki Teacher Trainer; free lance performer; have two daughters (violinists); married to a trumpeter

I’ve studied ballet since age seven and take class wherever I live.

The Czech composer Antonín Dvořák is one of my favorites. I love how he incorporated folk elements of his homeland and African-American spriritual and American folk elements into his music.

If considering it as a profession, you need to love it. You need to be devoted to practice, continuous learning, and respect for others. It is very competitive.

We come from many different cities in Texas to rehearse and perform music that stirs the soul and brings us together.

I hope people are nourished spiritually and emotionally. I hope the experience allows them time for reflection.

Most of us musicians started learning our trade as children.

Practice, eat well, sleep well, exercise. For stressful concerts, I visualize the performance ahead of time, practice deep breathing, and drink lots of water.

I enjoy listening to the music I’m working on. I love opera, vocal music and chamber music. I enjoy listening to the radio and guessing the composer. I also like The Beatles.

We have an incredible conductor, Dr. Beau Benson, who is taking us to greater heights.

Music comes from the soul and speaks to us in ways that words cannot. Since music comes from the soul, AI can never really replace a musician. Also, to play together, we have to get along, which is good for us all.

Never ending appreciation