SOTM: Avanti Gupta

As March comes to an end, members of Orchestra have decided to nominate musician Avanti Gupta as the newest Student of the Month!

Avanti Gupta, the March Student of the Month

Avanti currently plays the violin in the school orchestra. Her pursuit of music began in the third grade. Although Avanti originally considered taking up the flute, she ended up choosing the violin because she found various aspects of the instrument to be interesting. She recounted the initial struggles and described how she “hated to practice” the violin. Despite the challenges that Avanti faced, she persevered and eventually learned to enjoy practicing the instrument. One of Avanti’s main motivations is her mom. Avanti described how her mom, a music educator, inspires her musical side and has even taught Avanti skills such as singing and playing music. Through Avanti’s hard work, she has become the amazing musician that she is today.

Even better than Avanti’s music ability is her positive attitude and mindset. Avanti’s classmates describe her as both “kind” and “outgoing.” She says that she simply enjoys talking to people and helping out whenever possible. Her favorite orchestra activity is the weekly sectional, in which each instrument group practices together and focuses on their unique parts. Avanti enjoys sectionals because she is able to have fun with her friends, while simultaneously bonding with her section.

Orchestra director Ms. Chen handing Avanti the certificate

Beyond the violin, Avanti is passionate about numerous other activities. She plays the piano, is a member of the school swim team, and is even part of the Claremont Young Musicians organization. With this extensive list of extracurricular activities, Avanti is often kept busy. However, she tries her best to find time to practice her instruments and prioritizes scheduled events to attend as many as possible.

Orchestra has created a positive impact on Avanti's life. Avanti recounted the time that the entire orchestra program performed ‘Happy Birthday’ for her during the OBD rehearsal. She said that “it was sweet…[how] all four [orchestras] played that day for [her].” The overwhelming gesture made the moment her favorite memory from orchestra.

Overall, Avanti appreciates the friends that she has made from the music program and hopes to continue excelling in music in the future.