Student Spotlight: Maja Pechanach, clarinet
Most musicians can recall the moment in fifth grade when they were ushered into a room surrounded by instruments, tasked with finding the one that was just right.
The tuba is bigger than I am. This one has so many buttons. Why is this one so heavy? Is my arm long enough for the trombone? How do I get a sound out of this one? What's a double reed?
For Maja Pechanach, the decision to play the clarinet was largely influenced by two things: the fact that she could make a sound out of the clarinet, and the fact that her father had played it before. However, as soon as her father had shown her the clarinet solo in Fantasia 2000's recording of "Rhapsody in Blue" by the Philharmonia orchestra, she realized she made the right choice.
"I started playing the clarinet in fifth grade, but I actually started piano when I was five," Pechanach said. "I remember in elementary school, each year we would draw a picture and write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. In third grade, I remember drawing a picture of myself sitting at my piano on a stage. I drew a little audience too. It was the first time I realized I wanted to be a musician."
Pechanach is a junior studying clarinet performance at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD).
"I think one of the really cool things about SMTD is that it's a conservatory-style program within the larger school, so I have a sense of closeness with all of my peers," Pechanach said.
Within the music performance program, students engage in aspects of music theory, musicology, music history and performance ensembles, including chamber ensemble performance. Pechanach's chamber group consisted of a clarinet, oboe, flute, English horn and bassoon.
"In the fall we played 'Quintette en Forme de Choros' by Heitor Villa Lobos," Pechanach said. "It was the one piece written for that collected instrumentation and it was probably the hardest piece I have ever played. We listened to the track like ten times trying to figure out what was going on. It sounded like insanity. When we performed it, there was the feeling of 'we really just did that,' and that really built our confidence; if we did that, we can do anything."
The ensemble stayed together for the winter semester and played 'Quintet' by John Steinmetz.
"'Quintet' was the composer's tribute to his late father," Pechanach said. "It's such a tragic piece hidden in such playfulness. It's 25 minutes long and you go through so many emotions while listening to it. Chamber music is so important for musicians; they are so different from any other kind of ensemble. The group is run by its members; you really have to consider how you communicate with other people through your instrument and through your body movements and how you connect with the composers and the meaning they convey in their pieces."
SMTD courses are designed to create well-rounded performers that are familiar with the cultural significance and influences of music, as well as the many applications of music in careers from performance, to education, to therapy, to arts management.
"Instead of just looking at pieces by deceased white men, we learn about hip hop and aspects that I didn't think we would learn in a classical music school," Pechanach said. "This fall, I signed up for a conducting course. I'm looking forward to seeing what a conductor does on the podium and the complexities of that. I can get a deeper understanding of the music and how music is taught. I also get to take 'Analysis of 20th Century Modal Music. My friend recommended it to me. Since coming here I have been so much more interested in modern music. I get to see how music has changed and what composers are doing to produce all this new music."
Pechanach knew she wanted to pursue clarinet performance in the summer after her sophomore year of high school. She was placed in the top orchestra as a junior in April 2019, where she was able to make senior friends and gain an introduction to the audition process.
"My middle school band director was an inspiration for me," Pechanach said. "That's when I saw that I could play [music] for a career. I was really nervous before auditioning for MMB because of the time commitment. I had a zoom call with Dr Pasquale. He talked about how music is so vast and the music you are playing in the MMB is so different and you get that variety."
The time commitment of the MMB is often a deterrent for prospective members. For music majors with required ensembles that are only offered at one time, committing to an ensemble that rehearses for an hour and a half every weeknight can be stressful.
"The directors understand how important SMTD is," Pechanach said. "There's always ways to figure out time conflicts. One time, the Berlin Philharmonia came here the weekend of the Illinois game and my masterclass was during the game. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, because I got to learn from a clarinetist in the Berlin Phil, and I was so nervous about missing it, but I talked to Dr. Pasquale and I was allowed to miss the game and only had to work off half the time. The time commitment is scary up front, but I have never dreaded going to MMB; it is an escape, a really good break from your studies. For people considering joining, go for it. You'll love it. I thought of clarinet as a career and something I have to take very seriously all the time. MMB is so good at reminding me that I can play in a completely different capacity. Sometimes I have a really tough lesson and I can come to rehearsal and just play. There isn't as much pressure to sound perfect. It's so nice to be able to play in a way where every note I play isn't for a grade; I get to just play."
The MMB is an SMTD ensemble, an aspect that makes navigating conflicts easier.
"I love the different disciplines that I get to experience," Pechanach said. "SMTD can be very classical music-focused and then I can go to MMB right after orchestra rehearsal and play pop music with my friends. I also love how much the two collaborate. Professor Haithcock is always there for visualization and SMTD faculty have conducted the national anthem during games. There are just a couple people in both programs, so we really get to know one another and I really like that."
SMTD students may have to navigate burnout.
"Don't be down on yourself for recognizing those moments when you need rest or when you aren't in the right mindset to practice," Pechanach said. "When you walk into a practice room knowing you are tired and thinking you won't be productive, that mindset is self-fulfilling. I have just tried to find the fun in everything I do. This past season, I was really excited about the pieces I got to play in my ensembles and the different collaborations. I also try to go for every opportunity I see. Even if I do not think I will get into an ensemble I am auditioning for, I know going through with the audition process is getting me experience. Orchestral ensembles are about playing well with others and understanding the finest details of music and showing you are ready for the job, and that comes from taking auditions and getting to know what that process is like. There are so many opportunities SMTD offers. You don't have to be in an orchestra, but you can still make music your career at this school."
In the winter 2023 semester, Pechanach arranged Danzon II by Arturo Marquez for the clarinet choir, an all clarinet ensemble open to all students, including non-music majors.
"I love the stick (clarinet) section," Pechanach said. "From day one, they were all my best friends. MMB is an amazing first experience in college. You walked into the hall and the person standing there was so excited to see you. The sticks have this acronym SRC. Any activity we do together outside of band fits in the acronym: Sticks Review Cinema is an activity where we all watch a movie together. I know that I can always go to them if I need to get away. They are the most amazing people and I'm so grateful to march with them."
This summer, Pechanach was one of six clarinetists placed in a chamber music ensemble for the Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival on Lake Superior.
