![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
On Friday, January 28, world-renowned ragtime pianist Bob Milne performed at the Upper School as part of the Speaker Series and introduced ragtime music to many students for the first time.
During the assembly, the students sat circularly around the piano that was placed in the middle of the gymnasium. Christopher Florio, Orchestra and Jazz Band teacher, and technical director Brian Larsen rotated the piano every 15 minutes so all students had a chance to see the keys.
In addition to explaining the history of ragtime, Milne explained the characteristics of the genre from its syncopated form to other musical styles. He also performed many ragtime pieces, all of which he learned by ear.
Milne first took interest in ragtime in 1964 when he heard ragtime pieces being played in the saloon he was working at in Detroit. The music genre immediately caught his attention, and after researching about ragtime, he became more interested in pursuing it.
“When I play for this audience here, all of these young people sitting here on the gymnasium floor, I remember when I sat on a floor, and I remember how amazed I was to hear somebody do something like this. And it gives me a chance to give it back,” Milne said.
After the assembly, many students thought that his performance was impressive and motivating.
“I thought today’s assembly was really inspiring because I think it’s amazing how he plays piano so well without any formal learning,” Sankalp Raju (11) said.
Jessica Lin (11) added that it was different but just as inspirational as all the other assemblies. Adrienne Mendel (10) agreed.
“I thought it was interesting how he didn’t look at the keys when he played, and it was fun to take a break from school to listen to some music,” said Adrienne.
Graduating as a French horn player from high school, Milne went to the Eastman School of Music at age 17, and he became the assistant First Horn in the Rochester Philharmonic two years later. He played the horn until age 21 before deciding to become a full time piano player. Milne is now a Musical Ambassador for the United States Department of State.
