Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.
Blaring horns and saxophones complement the abundance of wind instruments that play a rendition of “Seven Nation Army” during Wellesley High School’s home football games as part of the high school Pep Band’s role in generating enthusiasm within the crowd. This piece, which has become part of the routine repertoire, was arranged by Timothy Bonis, a member of Wellesley High School’s Class of 2022.
“A few years ago, we thought we could use a new song for the Pep Band for football games, and it ended up sticking. Hopefully, long after I’m gone, this will still be a legacy playing at every football game,” said Bonis.
Bonis, an exemplary young musician, is an integral part of the high school’s Wind Ensemble and acts as a positive role model for other aspiring students.
Bonis’s musical career started eight years ago when he fell in love with the flute. After listening to “The Aviary” from Carnival des Animaux when he was seven, the flute solo especially stood out to him. Two years ago, he decided to pursue the piccolo and now plays both instruments. Influenced by his large musical background, Bonis was destined to become a multi-instrumentalist.
“I was always part of a very musical family. My grandfather was the president of the Boston Opera Company and my grandfather sat on the board of the Civic Symphony of Boston. It was almost a foregone conclusion that I would play an instrument later on,” said Bonis.
Through his family’s musical ties, he met his current out-of-school instructor, Ellen Bender. Bender’s husband wrote an opera that premiered at the Boston Opera Company at the time Bonis’s grandfather was president.
In addition to his independent musical practice, Bonis is heavily involved with Wellesley school music programs. In middle school, Bonis joined the school’s band and continued to practice under Director Henry Platt. Bonis not only looked up to his teacher but also turned to famous musicians Emmanuel Pahud and Marcel Moyse for inspiration. Bonis often listened to their recordings, attempting to emulate their skill and music.
Now at the high school, Bonis is first chair in flute and second chair in piccolo. While the high school used to put on a musical performance every month or two, performances have stopped since the start of the pandemic. Bonis misses the satisfactory feeling of performing for people and recalls his old concerts.
“At a recital when I performed ‘Méditation’ from the opera Thaïs by Jules Massenet, I played it with poise and technique that my teacher and family didn’t expect, which was one of my proudest moments,” said Bonis.
It hasn’t always been a perfect road for Bonis; all musicians have their moments. Bonis emphasizes that a part of learning and growing is remembering the mistakes made along the way.
“In seventh grade I had a disaster concert,” said Bonis, “I was performing the ‘Sicilienne’ by Gabriel Fauré, and I completely ruined it. I was a pretty new player at the time and not a really good one either. I chose a piece that was reasonably hard and above my level. It opened very gently and it was a soft piece. I ended up cracking every note and even after trying to restart, it didn’t work. I remember putting my flute down and running off stage.”
Bonis wants younger students to understand that moments like these do not define a player, but rather make them stronger.
“Mistakes are a part of learning to perform. No matter how much you practice, you may never know how to perform in front of a crowd. When you have a moment like that, it teaches you a lot about how to pick yourself up after a fall.”
Bonis’s skill comes from his rigorous practice schedule. Throughout high school, he practiced for about 45 minutes to an hour every day. Even during the fall of his hectic senior year, Bonis continued to pay attention to his instrument. Believing individual practice is essential to becoming a successful player, he fondly looks upon the communal aspect of music.
“It can be a lot of pleasure to play on one’s own,” said Bonis, “but when you can get into a section and play with people who also understand your instrument, you can talk about the performances and the pieces and the repertoire. The social experience from the school’s ensemble is something I look forward to.”
Furthermore, Bonis credits Steven Scott, conductor of the Wind Ensemble, with helping him learn and improve as a musician. Scott reciprocated this mutual admiration, and gushed over Bonis’s presence in the ensemble, with his unique combinations of fun and focus greatly uplifting his peers.
“Tim’s strong musicianship coupled with his fun and focused demeanor make him a real asset to the ensemble,” said Scott. “Tim…[leads] by strong example. He is always working on his flute parts outside of class and bringing excellent preparation to our work together,” said Scott.
Peers around Bonis also remember his positive attitude and remarkable hard work in Wind Ensemble. Senior Eleni Livingston who has been friends with Bonis for since their time at Fiske Elementary School, recalls Bonis’s attentive and eager presence in class.
“Tim is one of the most thoughtful people I know,” said Livingston. “He is always willing to help his section mates. He has an incredible musical ear and is able to identify things that need improvement very quickly. His social nature always brings the class community together and encourages younger students to reach out of their comfort zones in both music and academics.”
Bonis also has diverse accomplishments and interests beyond music. As an officer of the high school’s National Honor Society, he organized a pie sale fundraiser during Thanksgiving, combining his passion for baking with contributing to the greater community.
“I am a very keen baker. I’m especially interested in a type of Hungarian baking,” said Bonis, whose grandfather emigrated from Hungary.
Bonis has many plans looking forward both in terms of his post-high school academic life and his growing musical interest.
“I hope to continue playing in college even if it’s for individual enjoyment. Balancing academics and music is something I am familiar with. Music has been such a fundamental part of my life, and I can’t imagine a future without it,” said Bonis.
Article written by WHS Bradford staff: Iris Xia ‘22 and William Liu ‘22.
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