Senior Andrew M. Kim has acquired the prestigious position of obtaining a role in the All-State orchestra, an honors group composed of talented performers from all across Texas. After multiple days of rehearsals, Kim and his peers will perform a live show for the public on Feb. 15, 2025 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Kim’s desire to set himself apart led him to seek out a different, underappreciated instrument. 

“I started playing the viola because I had an interest in the violin, but I felt like there were already so many talented violin players,” Kim said. “I chose the viola because although it’s similar to the violin, I wanted to set myself apart from other musicians and do something original and interesting.”

Kim has been playing the viola for six years, dedicating himself to the craft with a passion that goes beyond the instrument itself. 

“I didn’t choose to become a musician for any reason I would deem special,” Kim said. “ I chose it because the idea of contributing my time to perfecting something beautiful, like music, really stood out to me.” 

Learning how to play the viola has been more than just an educational experience. For Kim, it’s been a lesson in character and self control. 

“My experience as a musician has taught me how to be disciplined,” Kim said. There were times when I was frustrated with playing and there were other things that I would rather be doing, yet I still forced myself to practice. I wanted to be great, and the only way I could become great is if I controlled myself and honed my skills every day. Learning the viola has really helped make me a better person, and I’m really grateful for that.”

The selection process to make All-State is a highly competitive and rigorous one, with there being multiple competitions against other musicians just to be able to advance further into the process. 

“First you have to audition for the regional orchestra, where only a select few participants advance to audition for All-State,” Kim said. “For the viola, if you place in the top sixteen auditions of the region, you’re qualified to audition for your area. Then, the judges choose the top 20 musicians, one from each instrument group from DFW, and those musicians must audition once more against the chosen musicians from other regions until a final selection of 40 musicians is made to advance to All-State.”

For Kim, the accomplishment of being chosen as one of the top student musicians in the state is like being shown a mirror that reflects all the hard work he put in.

“I put a lot of work into becoming a good viola player, and being chosen to play as one of the top viola players in my entire state really shines a light on all of my efforts,” Kim said. “I feel really accomplished, especially since the past few years I’ve never qualified for All-State and only made the regionals.”

Dr. Kim, Kim’s private viola lessons instructor, whose careful attention and care towards honing Kim’s musical talents has been imperative to Kim’s success. 

“I’d like to thank my viola teacher, Dr. Kim, for all the work he put into my success,” Kim said. “He’s always had this attention to detail that I feel like I wouldn’t get from another teacher, especially when improving my stage presence and technique.”.

For any aspiring musician, discipline and patience are of the utmost importance when first learning how to play. 

“My advice for anyone who aspires to become a musician is to stay disciplined and focus strictly on the fundamentals,” Kim said. “It’s easy to want to jump into the more interesting and challenging lessons, however doing so will only cause a new player to develop bad habits and stunt their growth as a performer. Patience is an important virtue to have when learning any art form, especially music.”

Once Kim ascends to his position on the stage in the All-State orchestra, he’ll be recognized as one of the best student viola players in the state, a testament to his hard work and dedication to the instrument. Kim’s story of success shows that his virtues of discipline, patience and consistency are valuable, important influences to establishing a lasting mark on his legacy as a musician.