Zihua Wang (12) stands before his marimba, a landscape of polished wooden bars awaiting his touch. He holds the mallets with a practiced ease, their yarn-wrapped ends poised just inches above the instrument. With a subtle nod to an internal rhythm, he lets the mallets fall, striking the first melodic note of his long-practiced piece.

While few understand how to play the marimba, Zihua has worked toward mastering the instrument since the age of five, when his parents first signed him up to take group lessons at the UMusic Foundation. Zihua quickly grew to love the instrument and his newfound community at UMusic, bonding with like–minded peers over eight years of classes.

“UMusic was a great environment because everybody had this shared passion,” Zihua said. “We fooled around sometimes like flinging our mallets at each other, but there’s a beauty to working with people who have the same interests as you. You are all sharing a common goal.”

Throughout his marimba journey, Zihua embraced every opportunity to expand his skills, attending summer camps with UMusic in Portugal and Taiwan to further explore marimba-playing with his peers. Zihua even attended a class with renowned marimbist Ludwig Albert during his Portugal trip, which opened his eyes to new ways of playing the instrument.

“With most instruments, you’re only moving your arms and fingers,” Zihua said. “But with the marimba, I have to move my legs and incorporate my entire body and arms. Playing marimba is almost like a dance because it involves your entire body. It makes you embody the music in a physical way, and I think music is something that should be embodied.”

Constantly learning from experienced musicians and applying his newfound knowledge, Zihua is never afraid to dive deeply into new techniques of playing the marimba. Upper school physics teacher Chris Spenner attests to Zihua’s passion for discovery into every field, as he always strives to independently grow and bravely venture into unknown territory.

“When Zihua first came in and asked me a question, I gave him just the beginnings of an answer, and as soon as he latched on to the direction I was going, he wanted to figure out the rest for himself,” Spenner said. “He didn’t want me to hold his hand all the way to the solution. He wanted to sort things out on his own.”

For Zihua, exploring the unknown also means pushing past his limits, whether through complex physics problems or a marimba piece that initially seems far beyond his capabilities. Instead of shying away from such challenges, Zihua embraces them as opportunities for self-development. He values the patience and determination that help him reach new heights on his journey with the marimba.

“It’s the very difficult pieces that inspire me, the ones that I feel are way out of my skill range,” Zihua said. “I found that by just throwing myself at a piece, I’m going to be improving even if I feel like I’m never going to finish perfecting that piece.” 

Zihua recalls often getting frustrated at such pieces, remembering times when he would practice them endlessly but seemingly never make progress. However, he discovered that being forgiving with himself and appreciating the process will always help him overcome daunting challenges, whether in music or in life.

“It might not feel like you’re getting better, but the fact is that the more time you put in, you’re going to be improving,” Zihua said. “You don’t even have to focus on a goal, you just have to be focusing on improving in the first place.”

Zihua applies his compassion to more than just playing the marimba, extending this attitude to how he treats others. Close friend Andrew Au (12) sees Zihua’s acceptance of others as a trait that sets him apart from all others and allows him to remain open-minded and non-judgmental.

“You can share anything with him,”Andrew said. “He’s not going to judge you. He’ll just give you good advice and accept you for who you are.”

Close friend Sathvik Chundru (12) echoes Andrew’s sentiments, noting Zihua’s unwavering authenticity in every interaction. To Sathvik, Zihua’s genuine demeanor is what makes him a truly caring and valuable companion.

“You can ask him any question, and he’ll give you a completely honest answer,” Sathvik said. “There’s a lot of people who just sugarcoat things and don’t tell you what they really think, but Zihua will be completely honest and straight up with you.”

Now 10 years into his journey learning the marimba, Zihua looks back  with a sense of fulfillment and pride. His dedication to this unique instrument serves as a vivid illustration of what truly becomes possible when passion meets commitment.

“The fact that I can look back now and say that I’ve done marimba for 10 years, almost daily, makes me realize that I’m capable of doing more than I think that I can, as long as it’s something that I’m passionate about,” Zihua said.