Mateo DARACK
GEORGE SCHARR FIRST MET MATEO DARACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2017 DURING BAND CAMP AT FALMOUTH ACADEMY.
That day, Mateo sat in the corner, playing two notes on the tuba. “The instructor looks at me and raises his eyebrows. In the first two notes—imagine when someone speaks to you—you can tell a tremendous amount about a player, not only by their tone, but their articulation and how they go from the first note to the second,” says Scharr, who serves as the school’s music director. Afterwards, Scharr sat down with Mateo, asking him what he hoped to do with his talent. “I’d like to be a tuba player for the Boston Pops,” Scharr recalls him saying. A year later, that dream was partially realized when Mateo was one of several Falmouth Academy students to kick off the 33rd Annual Pops by the Sea by playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” as they made their way down the Hyannis Village Green to the front of the iconic stage. For someone who has long dreamed of one day being on that stage, it was a highlight of his young career. “Having the Boston Pops watching us and clapping, it gave me a tingling feeling,” says Mateo.
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Mateo, who has been playing music since the fourth grade, lives on Martha’s Vineyard and has dedicated himself to his craft, intent on combining his passion with his talents to reach his goal. “This guy has the right stuff,” says Scharr, who has played the bass trombone with the Cape Symphony for over 30 years. “He is a rare breed. So many kids have a few ingredients, but not all of them. It is inspiring to me because I wasn’t like that at his age.” This year, Mateo has continued his ascension. He currently plays with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, was accepted into the New England Conservatory Youth Symphony, and performed at Symphony Hall in Boston at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Festival. Mateo, who is going to be a sophomore this fall, is driven by “making music for other people just for the enjoyment. That keeps me going and practicing every day.” Music, he says, “can completely influence how you feel, can bring back memories, can give you aspirations, and can influence everybody in their daily lives. … Getting people to feel those things and remember those things is an honor I consider myself lucky to have.” And so in the midst of the pandemic, he continues to study. He continues to play. And he continues to practice, getting closer to his goal with every note he plays.
Pops by the Sea 2020 • At-Home Edition
