While many high school students find classical music to be boring and monotonous, Kavya Duvedi (12) enjoys listening to the harmonies created, whether it be two or fifty instruments playing together. 

She believes that her passion for music has helped her progress in high school and has influenced her in profoundly positive ways.

Kavya began playing the piano in seventh grade and has kept it as a strong interest through high school.

“I never really realized I had a passion for music until I began playing it in my free time instead of surfing the web on my laptop or doing something else,” Kavya said. “I really like classical music too. It’s fun seeing an orchestra and trying to play a part of it on your own.”

Despite the challenges Kavya has faced, such as stage fright, she has learned to overcome it by reassuring herself she is well prepared.

“Definitely for piano, I have had recitals, and I had a lot of stagefright,” Kavya said. “To overcome it, I would take deep breaths, go over my song in my head and tell myself, ‘You know what you are doing, you have done this so many times.’”

Regardless of these challenges, Kavya feels like she can get through any low points in her life by talking to her friends.

“I have two or three best friends who would help get me through any low point like stress, not good grades, or any other bad things,” Kavya said. “I just talk it out with them, and they make me feel better.”

As a senior, Kavya is much more relaxed, and largely feels unchanged from when she first was a freshman.

“I guess I thought I would be extremely stressed by the end of highschool, and be like completely different, but I think I have the same personality, I’m very relaxed, and not that stressed. I never thought I would be like that at the end of high school.”

In the end, Kavya define success based on whether or not an individual is content with what they have done while satisfying their ambitions.

“I feel like success is reaching all your goals, but while simultaneously being happy and maintaining a balance of being ambitious in what you want to do, while at the same time being happy with what you are doing,” Kavya said. “I feel that if you are confident in what you have done and not regretting any of it, then you are successful.”