Carolina
Jimenez,
cello
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Fidelia Vasquez: Can you tell me a little
bit about yourself, and how you got involved in Community MusicWorks?
Carolina
Jimenez: I've been in CMW for eight or nine years now,
and I go to Classical High School. I live in Providence, and I play
the cello. I first heard about CMW when they were at West End Community
Center. I used to go there after school, and that's where they first
had their lessons.
FV:
Do you remember hearing them for the first time?
CJ:
Yes, I do. They came and they played a small piece. I think
there were only three of them at the time. And then they let us
hold the instruments afterwards, with them watching, and we got
to play a little bit. They didn't have a cello, but they told me
that there was a cellist coming, and I was like, “Yes! I get to
play the cello.”
FV:
You knew what the cello was before? How did you know?
CJ:
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Yo-Yo Ma came on Mr. Roger's
Neighborhood. I just thought it was the most awesome instrument
on the planet. I started playing my guitar between my legs with
a stick, and I remember taking my sister's violin and trying to
play it like a cello. It just consumed me. I was, like, “CELLO!”
And then CMW came and then I joined it. The amazing thing was that,
years later, the Silk Road had a project at the Peabody Essex Museum,
and we got this opportunity to go play for them, and I got to meet
Yo-Yo Ma. We played Wade in the Water.
FV:
What was your reaction?
CJ:
I was, like, “Oh my God!! Yo-Yo Ma!” I remember Minna talking
to him and I was just standing there… In my head I was asking him,
“Can you sign my CD?” but what came out was, “Uhhhuhhhuhh?” I'd
left my music binder on a chair while we were playing, and I remember
he sat on it, and I was like “Yo-Yo Ma's butt has been on this binder!”
I guess that's as good as his signature. I'm not sure.
FV:
How do you think CMW has changed your life?
CJ:
I don't know how to answer that. It's just been in my life
so long, I don't have anything to compare it to. It's just one of
those things where I've always had it. But I think if I didn't have
Community MusicWorks there, I probably would be a lot more antisocial
than I am. It makes me actually go out there and socialize with
people, kids my age, like in Phase II. I could not imagine life
without CMW.
FV:
How have the people affected you?
CJ:
They're very supportive, and they're always there for you
when you need them. They're always there to help you, to talk to.
It's cool. You hang out with them.
FV:
How do you think you've grown in the program?
CJ:
I'm a lot more social. And I'm probably able to communicate
more, since before I didn't talk that much. Being in CMW has sort
of boosted my confidence level, so now I'm really up there. I'm
more articulate than I used to be.
FV:
Can you point to anything specific that's helped with that?
CJ:
I think having to go on stage and play an instrument,
which makes you vulnerable, because you're expressing yourself in
a very deep manner. To be able to go on stage and do this in front
of a bunch of people, it kind of brings out more in you.
FV:
What was your favorite workshop?
CJ:
Matt Haimovitz. Because he was so awesome. He played Jimi
Hendrix on his cello, and that's one of the most awesome things
I have ever seen. I attempted it so many times, and to see someone
actually do it, I was like, “Yes, I can do this.” I wish he had
played Purple Haze, that's the one I was trying to play.
FV:
What's your proudest moment in Community MusicWorks?
CJ:
After I played Danny Boy the first time. It was
the only song that I had mastered. I had it down. And then I played
it at a Performance Party, and people were crying. Minna was crying,
my mom was crying.
FV:
Why were they crying?
CJ:
Because Danny Boy is such an emotional piece!
People were just listening to it and crying. I didn't notice while
I was playing; I was intent on getting it right. And then afterwards
I look up and people are crying, and I'm like, “Did I play that
badly?” And then I was like, “Oh, they're crying because it's Danny
Boy. Got it.”
FV:
Do you plan to keep playing cello after you graduate? I know that's
a long way off.
CJ:
YES! I plan to keep playing my instrument. My plan is…
I don't know yet. I want to hold a bunch of different jobs. Just
because I get bored easily with jobs. I may want to be a music teacher
for a little bit. I want to be in theater. I want to be a theater
technician. I want to be a chef. A photographer.
FV:
How has the community of CMW affected you? This is sort of an unusual
situation, to have a string quartet in the community .
CJ: I don't think it's strange, though, I think
it's perfectly normal because I grew up with it. Other people may
ask, “Well, why are they doing this?” but for me it's like, “Well,
why wouldn't they do this?” I think all musicians should give something
back to the community.
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