SOTM: Sebastian Farrington

With the first concert, social, and field trip finished, the orchestra program is officially in full swing. October’s Student of the Month is a dedicated and intelligent violinist in Symphony Orchestra. Praised by his peers for being the “funniest man alive” and an exemplary section leader, let’s congratulate the October Student of the Month, Sebastian Farrington!

While Sebastian is currently the second violin section leader in Symphony Orchestra, like many others, his introduction to music began at a young age. Sebastian started to play the violin when he was in fourth grade. His backup choice of instrument was the saxophone, but he says, “for me, it was never really a question; I wanted to play the violin for some inexplicable reason.”

Since then, Sebastian has joined the Arcadia Chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and also occasionally performs in gigs. These gigs are opportunities for orchestra students to play for service hours, while also providing lovely music for the community.

One of Sebastian’s notable achievements is finishing the Certificate of Merit (CM) Tests for the violin. “I passed Level 10, and it took a lot of work,” Sebastian said. “I’m definitely glad I’m done with that!”

Music has impacted Sebastian, in ways more than learning music theory and playing repertoire. “[Playing the violin] is a good break from my homework. When I play violin, it helps me destress and plan my week,” says Sebastian.

In addition to playing excerpts of random pieces with his stand partner before class begins, Sebastian enjoys other social opportunities that the orchestra program provides. “The potlucks and concerts that we have are a lot of fun,” explains Sebastian. “The concerts are great because everyone mingles around for a while and we get to hear what the other orchestras were up to.” Needless to say, potlucks are another plus for Sebastian, simply because “food is great.”

Sebastian has realized that his music journey has taught him many things. “Music has helped cultivate my discipline. It’s difficult to practice anything every day, but with music it's not too bad.” It also serves as proof that “hard work and time can lead to improvement”.

When not playing the violin, Sebastian enjoys swimming, watching movies, and interestingly enough, “learning random facts.”

Congratulations again to the 2023 October Student of the Month!