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.

Jessica Klurfeld, a senior at Wellesley High School, is a veteran of the local music scene. With over seven years of experience in both singing and playing the clarinet for both the high school and other programs, this talented musician is one of Wellesley’s best.

Going into her senior year, Klurfeld entered her 9th year playing the clarinet and her 7th year singing in school music programs. Early in her freshman year, Klurfeld became a member of the Wind Ensemble and played in the pit orchestra for the fall musical, Spamalot. Sophomore year brought music into the spotlight as she joined the high school’s Keynote Singers. 

Outside of school, she is the principal clarinet player in the Rivers Youth Symphony in Weston. This program brings together musicians from many different schools in the area and meets once a week during the year.

Klurfeld’s dedication is apparent. Max Goldenson’22, a friend who is also in the music program,  said, “She does her job with no fuss, and doesn’t brag about it or anything, even though she totally has a right to.” 

Klurfeld credits her teachers and idols in the music field for pushing her to the fullest in everything that she does. “My teachers have pushed me to become a better player by seeing potential in me that sometimes I haven’t seen in myself. Mr. Scott has given me music that I thought was too hard and I would never be able to play, but by the time the concert came around I was playing it perfectly,” said Klurfeld.  

Reciprocally, Steven Scott, the Band teacher at the high school, has nothing but praise for the senior musician. “Jessica Klurfeld is a superb clarinetist whose preparation and musicianship are key facets to the success of the Wind Ensemble,” said Scott. “She brings so much meticulous detail and expressive nuance to her playing that sets the standard for her section and the rest of the ensemble. She has a deep knowledge of the great ensemble pieces and solo repertoire for clarinet which informs her attention to style in the work we do as an ensemble. Jessica’s can-do attitude and musical artistry are an immeasurable asset to the program.”

Through the ups and downs of the past two years, Klurfeld credits her peers and their passion for music for making her COVID-19 experience closer to normal even with the challenging circumstances that were at hand. “It was challenging last year to go to band rehearsal outdoors and feeling like you were playing by yourself because of the social distancing and the lack of reverberation. The joys are when you get past the notes and rhythms of the music and you make a connection with the music and let it move you.”

With college peeking over the horizon, Klurfeld finds no reason to forgo her love for music when entering this new world, even if it may be less intensive than her life currently. “I will continue playing the clarinet, and I hope to join a band or orchestra in college,” said Klurfeld.

Fellow musician and a cappella member Lucy Calcio ‘22 has become close friends with Klurfeld through music. When asked to describe Jessica in a few words, she used, among others, “dedicated”, “smart”, and “insanely talented”. Not many people, let alone musicians, possess all the same characteristics that Klurfeld has. 

Goldenson echoed Calcio. “I would describe Jessica as committed, responsible, bright, reliable, and chill. She always does the work required of her, and she always keeps a level head. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her play a wrong note,”  said Goldenson.

Klurfeld will carry fond memories of the music program long after graduation. “My most memorable music experiences at the high school have been playing in the pit orchestra for the musical because no two performances are the same, and you have to adapt to the actors on stage. That’s what makes them so special,” said Klurfeld.

Klurfeld will be attending Smith College in the fall, where she plans on double majoring in Music and Computer Science.

Article written by WHS Bradford staff: John Battaglino ’24 and Tate Bannish ’24.

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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.

Having first started playing the cello at Jeju, the southernmost island in South Korea, Yeeun Shin ’22 stumbled upon the instrument only by chance.

“I didn’t start cello because I wanted to play the instrument. My little sister started first. And then her teacher looked really nice; she looked so fun. She gave her candy, and then I was like, oh, I want to learn from her too. So I was just like, let’s do cello. So that’s how I started,” said Shin.

Shin has been playing in the high school’s Honors Chamber Orchestra (HCO) for the past four years. She was also a part of Camerata Strings group at the Rivers Conservatory, and plays with Music For Society, a small group of musicians who perform for local seniors in the Wellesley community. 

Building off her traditional music experience, Shin has also explored other facets of her musical identity. Playing in the pit orchestra before the pandemic for the high school’s musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Shin found an unlikely passion that she hopes to carry into college. “I thought that I wouldn’t like [the pit orchestra] because I’m not the main element of the whole performance. People don’t really notice the pit orchestra people, just focus on whatever’s on the stage… [But] I really like being in the background. I don’t know why, but it’s just so fun supporting whoever is on stage,” said Shin.

Likewise, the sense of serenity she feels in the pit orchestra also reflects through her experience playing both at Jeju and at the high school. Shin attributes the development of her love for cello to the environment created by the people around her. “I was mainly motivated by the people around me, and my orchestra conductor. The people around me were very good, and I really wanted to play with them in the orchestra conducted by Ms. Siew. She loved music and loved her students a little more and I really believe that she was born to play and conduct. She had such a passion for music that I can’t forget the day I got into the orchestra,” said Shin. 

Not only do her multiple experiences shape and motivate her, but she is also the motivation to many others in the school orchestra. Jonathan Liu ’24, a fellow cellist who plays as Shin’s stand partner describes how he’s greatly benefitted from playing with her. 

“Even though she isn’t technically the principal cellist, she still provides that leadership in terms of general direction,” said Liu. 

Ivy Lei ’23, a violinist who plays with Shin in the Honors Chamber Orchestra, agrees. “I have always admired [Shin’s] adaptability and how she is always so willing to help others in her section improve while she plays,” said Lei. “One day I noticed Yeeun helping another student with the fingerings and bowing, even after class was over. I knew that came with the role of being a section leader, but I was really inspired by her willingness and passion when going out of her way to help others.” 

Treating cello as a holistic experience, Shin also emphasizes the importance of creating a pressureless environment in helping her create a strong relationship with the instrument. “There was never any pressure to enter any competitions or be really, really good. It was more of a nurturing environment where everybody kind of helped and then dragged each other for being bad… in like a nice way,” said Shin.

However, for many musicians who take the path of music, their end goal is almost always to be a part of a selective ensemble, or to play competitively. Therefore, they invest more time into practicing and take part in more intense training compared to others. No matter the end result, the struggle to find motivation for practice is truly universal. Shin’s technique may come as a surprise to some, but her journey has still proven to be fruitful in itself.

“So how do I motivate myself? I just want to play. Like that’s just how I practice. I play whenever I want to,” said Shin. “That might not be that frequent, but I think that’s okay. Because the main thing is I want to keep playing it without feeling bad while playing. And if I don’t want to do it beforehand, then I’m just not going to, because I don’t want to hate my instrument ever.”

Shin hopes to continue the spontaneity associated with her enjoyment of music, bringing it to everyday practices as a gesture of her passion. “This was a few weeks ago–we were joking around in the beginning of class as usual, [WHS orchestra director] Dr. K was trying to calm us down like a shepherd trying to corner sheep, and I don’t remember who, but one of us just started playing the piece,” said Shin. “And one by one, everyone started playing. We even did the repeats and everything, and Dr. K just sat there and listened, not conducting, while we played. We obviously played rather horribly, but for me it was touching to play like that.” 

After high school, Shin hopes to continue playing throughout college. “There’s an aspect about cello that I really like: it’s that the way you hold it is like you’re hugging it against your chest. And then I just feel really warm when it vibrates against my chest because it’s like speaking… But yeah, just the way that I can wrap my arms around it and then play it against my body is just so nice,” said Shin.

Article written by WHS Bradley staff: Hank Guo ’23 and Fiona Zhou ’24

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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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