VYOA Blog

Iris Lawson-Ryan, violin
Vermont Commons

 

VT Youth Orchestra – 1 year

VT Youth Philharmonia –3 years

VT Youth Strings – 2 years

 

 

We have appreciated watching Iris grow up in the VYOA over the last 6 years!

What other activities or sports do you participate in? 

I play varsity volleyball at Vermont Commons School as well as with Vibe Volleyball Club. I am also a student leader in my school’s outdoor education program.

How has the pandemic affected your practice & performance of music or participation in your other activities?

The pandemic provided me with a welcome opportunity to take a step back and focus on my technique. I was able to zoom in on different aspects of my playing, develop them, and then apply them while working on individual solo pieces. I was also able to explore new composers and styles of music through my lessons.

If you know, what do you plan to study in college & how did you make your choice?

I plan on studying Environmental Science in college. For as long as I can remember, I have looked forward to learning more about the natural world around me, and as I’ve started to learn about the human impacts on the natural world, I also started to feel passionate about making a change. I am particularly interested in learning about the conjunction between scientific research and community outreach that is vital to helping mitigate climate change.