Plainfield Central Senior Named to Honor Orchestra

Skylar Lipman isn’t quite sure what part music will play in her future, but she knows it’s very important to her now.

The Plainfield High School – Central Campus senior band member says band is key part of her school day. “It’s more than just a class to me,” said the soft-spoken multi-instrumentalist. “It’s a break in the day.”

Her love for music is part of the reason Lipman has been chosen to perform with the 2013 Honor Orchestra of America. Lipman will play bassoon with the Orchestra of America as she does for the PHSCC concert band. She also plays piano in the PHSCC jazz band, mellophone in the marching band, recorder for the Madrigal group and even French horn.

Lipman learned she’d been selected for the national group in early January. She auditioned last fall by submitting recordings via Internet of herself playing specific musical passages and scales. She’ll rehearse and perform with the Honor Orchestra of America in Indianapolis March 13-16, 2013.

The Honor Orchestra of America is a branch of the Music for All program, one of the country’s largest and most influential national music education organizations. Music for All combines national programming with arts education advocacy.

“I was very excited (to be chosen) because I know that the group is very good, and I am going to be a part of it,” Lipman said, recalling with a quiet laugh that she’d actually meant to audition as a junior, but missed the deadline.

Lipman is no stranger to playing with renowned musical groups.

She also performs with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was selected to the 2012 Illinois All-State Honors Band, said PHSCC Band Director Dan Valkema. 

Lipman qualified for the 2013 Illinois All-State Orchestra, and has been a 4-year selection to the Southwest Prairie Conference Honor Bands, Valkema added.

“Skylar is very intelligent and inquisitive. She always strives for the highest level of musicality possible,” Valkema said.

“She is the rare student that a fortunate music teacher gets to work with a few times in their career…a consummate leader by example who is not only very good, but inspires those around her to get better,” he said.” 

Lipman started playing piano in fifth grade, but then jumped to bassoon and French horn in middle school. “I wanted to do something different,” she said about her choice of musical instruments. 

Music will be a part of her college life, either as a minor or part of a double major. However, her main focus will be environmental studies, Lipman said.

“I want to do ecological restoration. I don’t like the destruction going on in the environment and I want to do something about it,” Lipman said.

Her fondness for the environment probably isn’t an accident. After all, nature also has a certain musicality all its own.