By Clarissa Olson Posted: March 20, 2020
Every musician has two choices when it comes to their craft. Just as in life, it’s easy to spend every waking moment merely making noise and never getting anywhere, but with a little work, you can make true music and move nations. True musicians’ sheer dedication and love for music are so infectious that they inspire everyone around them.
Performer of the Issue Frankie Baumeister is one of these people. In Chamber Choir, Baumeister represents the ideal of a true leader, stepping outside of her traditional role as a student to help the group succeed.
“It helps make my job easier that I can rely on her to help the other groups while I am working with other people,” said director Sean Whelan. “She’s done a fantastic job and that’s why she deserves to be Performer of the Issue.”
For Baumeister, music is about doing what she loves and pushing herself to flourish and achieve all she can.
“I enjoy singing and sharing my talents with others,” said Baumeister. “I also really like learning about music and being able to convey different emotions from different songs. I also think music teaches patience, as well as concentration.”
All performers strive for excellence. Baumeister’s unremitting drive began at an early age.
“If anybody has been around me when I am practicing I get upset when something doesn’t sound right,” said Baumeister. “I guess I have always been like that because when I was little, my mom would sing to me and I would cover her mouth and tell her to stop. I really feel bad because my mom can sing.”
However, excellence is a difficult feat to achieve in anything in life and often goes unnoticed by much of society. Baumeister talked about the common misconception surrounding the “simplicity” and ease of creating music.
“There are hours, days, or even weeks worth of work and effort to make beautiful music. There is also a ton of technical work that comes into play that people don’t know about…people think this way because music is supposed to sound effortless, and when it does, the musician is doing their job.”
Throughout her high school career, Frankie has garnered an impressive list of achievements to boast of. She sang the National Anthem at the Reno Rodeo, she has been in Honor Choir all four years, and she was even accepted into All-State Choir. On January 30, she took first place at the Winterfest Talent show. Through her accomplishments, she learned many lessons.
“They taught me to work hard and they prove what I can do, giving me some confidence,” said Baumeister. “I had to practice a lot. I wasn’t able to just show up and audition. I had to practice everything almost every day.”
Aside from the obvious techniques and tips students learn from guest conductors at events such as honor choir, Baumeister credits them with more than just technical instruction.
“I really enjoy being able to travel and sing as a group,” said Baumeister. “I think traveling really brings us together and we learn a lot…I got really close to a few people I never would have been close to.”
Baumeister said that she really can’t pinpoint who had the most influence on her love for music. She credits her teachers, past and present, but is most grateful for her teacher in Fields, Oregon, Mrs. Andrews, who first introduced her to music.
“She taught me the basics of piano and guitar,” said Baumeister. “I don’t play those instruments a lot now, although she started me on music performance.
Baumeister plans to attend UNR in the fall, but although she is leaving the Lowry High band room, her music will stick with her forever. While Baumeister is still largely unsure of the extent to which she intends to further her education in music, the notion sounds very attractive.
“I hope to at least take a few music classes in college, although I’m not sure if I will major in music or pursue a singing career,” said Baumeister.
