Mia Wimbiscus of Wilmette has loved the cello since the age of five. Now 13, the home-schooled daughter of Sanghui and John Wimbiscus has continued her love affair with the instrument, which her mother and 6-year-old sister, Ella, also play. She is a member of the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (https://mya.org/) and last month won the MYAC junior level strings competition in the 20th annual Walgreens Concerto Competition. She talked to Pioneer Press about her start in music, why she likes the cello, and more.
Q: How did you get started with the cello?
A: I started on the violin for about two months. I always thought the cello was too big, because my mom’s was full-size, but when I was five I saw a really, really small one and I told my mom I had to have it, and “I want to be just like you.”
Q: What do you like about the instrument?
A: I just like the warm rich sound when I play.
Q: How often do you practice and when do you like to do it?
A: I practice about two to two-and-a-half hours a day. I try to spread it through the day, but I prefer to do it in the morning.
Q: Do you enjoy competitions?
A: Competitions can be fun. They’re really competitive, so it makes me practice.
Q: What type of music do you enjoy playing the most?
A: I like playing classical and romantic. I enjoy playing Bach suites as calming music.
Q: What would you tell other kids your age to convince them to listen to orchestral and instrumental music?
A: I’d tell them, “It might sound strange at first, but the more you spend time with an instrument, you’ll get used to it, and then you’ll start to enjoy it.”
Q: Do you plan to continue with your music studies?
A: Yes, I want to major in music.
Q: A non-musical question: have you recently read any books that you would recommend to people?
A: I recently re-read “The Secret Garden,” and I just finished reading “Amos Fortune, Free Man,” which is about a slave in the 1700s, and how he becomes free.
–Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
