Sova first Auburn student to perform at All-State in 10 years
AECSD Public Information Specialist
For the first time in a decade, an Auburn High School orchestra student performed in the New York State School Music Association All-State Ensemble.
Kaela Sova, a junior, played viola as a member of the All-State String Orchestra at the All-State NYSSMA Conference in Rochester on Dec. 7.
“I'm so proud (of her),” said Auburn High School Orchestra teacher, Victoria Kinney. “Sometimes we have wonderful musicians who don't get in because they have really high competition (in the zone that Auburn is in). To know that she actually made that, you have to perform at the highest level. You have to have a perfect score in the highest level of competition which does not guarantee that you're going to go. Our zone is so competitive and knowing that she did it makes me so happy.”
Sova was exposed to music at a young age; she started playing the violin at the age of three and the viola at the age of seven. Her first teacher was her mother, who has a master’s in music. Sova also takes lessons at Eastman Community Music School in Rochester. Sova is very versatile, besides the violin and viola, she also can play the piano, flute, and guitar, the instrument she uses when she plays with Perform For Purpose, which provides local youth an opportunity to play music.
“This is my third year of teaching her and I see the tremendous progress that she's made,” Kinney said. “She's a very good musician. She plays so many instruments, it helps her because she has all these different perspectives and all different angles, piano, violin, flute. She sees it in band, and she sees it in orchestra, so it gives her more understanding of new music. As a young musician, she is very mature for her age.”
Sova said the viola is her favorite instrument because of the small community that plays it.
“When you get with a bunch of violists, it's really fun because you just can connect on so much and you don't have that competitiveness that comes with being a violin or piano player,” she said. “When you're with your violists you feel more motivated.”
She also spends time with the Old-Time Fiddlers Association and has played with them at the State Fair. She also enjoys playing Bluegrass and Irish music.
“It's one of my top 10 favorites to do (fiddling) but other than that,” she said, “my main focus in music for me is chamber quartet. That's my favorite, doing duets and quartets. I definitely like the slower pieces and I'm into the Baroque pieces.”
Sova plans to go to college and major in history and museum studies but also wants to continue to perform. She said her top schools are SUNY Purchase and Susquehanna University (Pennsylvania) as well as the University of West Virginia.
“I'm going to take lessons, I'm going to do chamber and orchestra in college,” she said. “I might do a minor in music history if they have it because that's a good thing to add to what I'm already going to do in history.”
Sova said she wants to continue performing after college.
“I'm never going to give up playing the viola or flute,” she said. “It’s going to be with me forever and I'm hoping as I grow up and have a job, wherever I live, which will hopefully be around this area, will have a community orchestra or band that I can join and play with.”
Kinney said Sova’s success is an indicator that music has a bright future in the Auburn Enlarged City School District coming out of the COVID era which hurt a lot of scholastic programs. The district has expanded its music programs by hiring more teachers, as well as giving students the opportunity to start playing instruments as young as fourth grade.
“I'm very proud of all the kids,” Kinney said. “Coming out of COVID, I feel like we are blossoming and I truly want to thank our administrators and our cabinet for their support. Overall, it helps the community, because we have more talent, we have more kids involved in music and it grows it in school, but it goes back to the community. I'm very happy about what's happening in our community right now.”
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