鈥淚鈥檝e loved music my whole life,鈥� Eduardo Pilnik (鈥�24) said. 鈥淚 grew up with a piano in the house and grew up noodling on the piano because I thought it was fun. I always thought it sounded good, exciting, playing the white keys.鈥�
Pilnik started playing the piano when he was 6-years-old. In Grade 5, he learned the double bass through the school鈥檚 performing arts program, a difficult task that ultimately sparked his lasting passion for music.聽
鈥淭he first few years were probably quite challenging because there鈥檚 definitely an entry-level to getting into music,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淕etting the opportunity to learn an instrument and make more music was a strong enough encouragement for me to keep playing and really work on getting better.鈥�
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pilnik said he 鈥渂ranched out from classical鈥� and started playing the guitar. He said the new instrument pushed him to 鈥渢hink more鈥� when playing music to deepen his learning about theory and chords.聽
Furthermore, in Grade 10, Pilnik was offered the opportunity to play the guitar in the Middle School 鈥淪pongebob Squarepants鈥� musical, which he said was a 鈥渕assively daunting task.鈥� Nevertheless, Pilnik said this experience invigorated his love for the guitar.聽
鈥淚鈥檇 only been playing guitar for two years, then I get given this book of 20 pieces and they say, 鈥極k, you鈥檝e got a month and you play as much as you can,鈥欌�� Pilnik said. 鈥淚 probably played about half of that book, and half incorrectly. But, I mean, I just had so much fun with that.鈥澛�
The following year in Grade 11, Pilnik shifted his attention from orchestra to band, focusing primarily on jazz music.聽
鈥淚 started to play jazz, and it鈥檚 this kind of whole other experience,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淚 started reading music. I started thinking about, you know, really wanting to play and really enjoying it.鈥�
Simultaneously, Pilnik said he thoroughly enjoyed taking AP Music Theory as it initiated his determination to pursue music in a professional setting.
鈥淚鈥檇 always been told [music theory] was kind of boring and everyone hates it, but I loved it,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淚t kind of confused me, and I went, 鈥極k, this is fun. I鈥檓 loving my time playing guitar. I鈥檓 loving my time in theory. Maybe I should consider looking at this more than just a fun hobby on the side.鈥欌��
Moreover, Pilnik said the opportunity to participate in honor festivals through the in Grade 11 further encouraged him to improve.聽聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 that same cool feeling every time to come together and play with other people,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淭o go in a group of people who really care about music and all have the same passion and desire to succeed in it is really inspiring.鈥澛�
At the end of Grade 11, Pilnik enrolled in a summer program at the , an experience he said cemented his desire to study music beyond high school.聽
鈥淚t was that five weeks of just everything you do is music and everyone there really loves it and really wants to succeed,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淚t was the first time I really felt like I wanted to go home and drill scales for hours and play every etude that had ever been written.鈥澛�
In retrospect, Pilnik said the school offered him several 鈥減athways to channel鈥� his passion for music.
鈥淚 probably would have continued to play in Band regardless of musicals and everything else, but after that first musical I saw how much more there was offered and how much there was to do,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淗ad I not had these opportunities at ASL, I don鈥檛 think I would have ever even considered a five-week intensive at a music school, but I did and I really loved it.鈥澛�
It鈥檚 not that I ever wanted to quit or stop, but you just get this feeling that you don鈥檛 really know where to go.
— Eduardo Pilnik ('24)
Nonetheless, Pilnik said there are recurring times he has struggled with the grueling and frustrating nature of music.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l hit these patches in your progress where you feel nothing is happening, and it鈥檚 difficult,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I ever wanted to quit or stop, but you just get this feeling that you don鈥檛 really know where to go and you鈥檝e put all this time and effort into something and it just hit a dead end.鈥�
However, Pilnik said the 鈥渟upportive and caring鈥� environment in the music community pushed him to persevere through the tougher moments.聽
鈥淲hat鈥檚 got me through that is listening, watching other people play and seeing everything that鈥檚 out there can really push you to realize what you haven鈥檛 done yet and what you鈥檝e missed so far,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淵ou see that and you kind of feel this new motivation.鈥澛�
Furthermore, Pilnik said the differences between jazz and classical music have always struck him as intriguing.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 completely different from classical music, but it鈥檚 really, really cool,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淵ou feel much better as a player at the end of it because it鈥檚 not just that I can read music, I can make my own music now. I can figure out what I鈥檓 doing myself, regardless of the situation I鈥檓 in.鈥澛�
Ultimately, Pilnik said despite the difficulties in pursuing a professional musical career, he intends to focus on jazz in the future.聽
鈥淚 will always be able to default to finance or advertising or something, but only now do I have this chance to try something I love to do,鈥� Pilnik said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no time like now to do what I love.鈥�
