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22 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 7, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene · WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE 324 Kerr St. 905-339-3515 w w w. g e a r m u s i c . n e t Young violinist sets her sights on the world stage Leslie Ashworth is only 11 years old, but she has already decided on a career path. "I want to be an internationallyacclaimed violinist," she said resolutely. "I want to travel around the world playing concerts. I love my violin and I love playing music because it brings me happiness." Leslie said she would like to play with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, but that her dream is to serve as a guest soloist on stages around the world. Two stages she has set her sights on are Carnegie Hall in New York and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. "I hope to be concertmaster (of the TSO), but I'd like to play with them as a soloist, too," she said. Leslie was handed the violin at the tender age of four. Her mother, Allison, said she recognized her daughter had a gift when Leslie was a toddler and was able to sing back melodies she would hear on the TV and radio. "We chose the violin because it had a singing sound like her voice," Allison said. Leslie also took up the piano at age six, but says the violin holds a special place in her heart. "I think I liked violin right away because it is fun," she said. "The sound is nice and I like playing the songs. I like Bach and Vivaldi, like The Four Seasons." Allison and husband Stephen are former teachers, so they decided to home-school Leslie so she could focus on her music. She's now in her second year of homeschooling. "She was practicing until 9:45 or 10 at night and it was crazy," Allison said. "She was looking tired and I said there had to be another way of doing this, so we started talking about home-schooling. When you read about certain artists, there is a point where the managing of their time becomes critical and they switch to an alternate way of getting educated." Leslie said she doesn't miss school. "I needed more time to practice, because with school and homework and ballet, I had no time to practice," she said. "I don't really miss school because I get to stay home with my violin. I have lots of friends that I can call and I also have friends at ballet." Leslie practices violin four to five hours every morning, with one hour of piano practice in the afternoon. She also does her schoolwork in the afternoon under the tutelage of her mom. Leslie is preparing pieces for her Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music exam, including the challenging masterpiece, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor. She recently did her Grade 6 RCM piano exam, but has yet to do a violin exam. "I think he is very wise about the violin and he knows what he's doing," she said. "He's very nice, too. He says good things, but he also has other comments." The prerequisites to becoming a concert musician are as challenging for a student as it is for their parents. Stephen and Allison spend a large portion of their time driving Leslie to rehearsals, competitions and lessons. Besides her twice-weekly violin lessons in Mississauga, she takes piano lessons once a week in Oakville. She also takes ballet three nights a week and will be starting jazz piano this month. Stephen and Allison are also busy taking their other daughter, Kristen, seven, to cello and piano lessons. Allison takes notes at Leslie's violin lessons so the young girl remembers what her teacher wants her to work on. "I take detailed notes and I used to have to translate it to child-friendly language, but now she understands, so she can go beyond the notes," she said. Leslie is on full scholarship to the Young Artists Performance Academy at the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. There, she spends part of Friday and all day Saturday playing in a junior orchestra, which she was made concertmaster of this fall, rehearsing with a string ensemble, taking theory classes and singing in a choir. The driving and waiting is time wellspent, according to her parents. "I get a lot of satisfaction from hearing her play and seeing her enjoy music, as well," said Allison. Leslie regularly performs at music festivals throughout the Toronto area. She also gives solo concerts at nursing homes and most recently, at The Bay in downtown Toronto. The young girl said she never gets butterflies, whether she's playing in front of a large crowd or under the scrutiny of adjudicators. "I don't get nervous, it's fun," she said. Her parents ensure she gets to experience as many live concerts as possible. Watching other violinists perform concertos on major stages in places like Montreal and Toronto is a highlight for the young musician. While the road to becoming a professional musician is filled with obstacles, with thousands of violinists hoping to make it to the big time, Leslie's parents are confident in her ability to reach the stars. "We don't know where she'll go, but we know she has so much potential," Stephen said. "She loves to perform in front of people so much." Leslie is also confident in her chances, saying she doesn't want to do anything but become a professional musician. "I practice hard, so I can do it," she said. "I really, really want this." LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER MASTERING MENDELSSOHN: Leslie Ashworth, 11, has already decided on a career as an internationally-acclaimed violinist. The young girl spends five hours a day practicing violin and is working on Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music exam repertoire. Although she has only just started workHou, who has taught Leslie for four ing on the required violin pieces, with most years, said he is impressed by the young musicians spending two years to prepare girl's ability to accept criticism. for the gruelling Grade 10 exam, Leslie said "I was worried about the strictness that she is eager to master the works. I give her, because she is so young and a litHer violin teacher, tle girl, and I was not Alex Hou, recom- "I want to travel around the world sure she could take it, mended that she start but her attitude is playing concerts. I love my violin with the highest really positive, so she grade of the and I love playing music because it does," he said. Conservatory system. brings me happiness." "She always smiles Stephen and Allison and says she is sorry. said they have put Leslie Ashworth That makes her their faith in Hou's progress solid because Violinist teaching method. I have less worry about Hou's daughter, teaching her. I know Susanne, is an internationally acclaimed exactly what steps everyone who is dedicatviolinist and Juilliard graduate. She made a ed to this career needs to take, but not name early in her career when she won every student can take the strict training." gold medals at three international violin Leslie said she admires and respects her competitions. teacher.