Z Campbell senior violist inspires, breaks barriers

Everyone in orchestra knows: if you're lost during a concert, just watch senior Z Campbell According to orchestra director Ricky Pringle, Campbell is one of the best musicians to ever come through McCallum From sixth gradeto senior year, Campbell was viola section leader for All-Region Orchestra. They made the top All-State Orchestra a feat accomplished by only two violists in McCallum history all four years This summer, Campbell will join the National Youth Orchestra as a touring performer.

?I thinksomekidscan lookat aZandsay,'I want todothat,I want tobelike that or I want toworkto havethis,??Pringlesaid

?Probablytheother violas wouldnot bewherethey are,or asgoodastheyare, hadZnot beenhere?

For Campbell,highschool hasbeenall about discoveringtheir identity,bothasapersonand asamusician Evenasa6-year-oldexperiencing theclassical musicworldfor thefirst time, Campbell foundit hardtobreathe They watchedtheAustinSymphonysurroundedby oldwhitemenasfar astheeyecouldsee In middleschool,Campbell realizedorchestras weredictatedbycenturies-oldtraditions And whenit cametoconcert black,therewasnogray area Girlsworelongdressesandboysworesuits Dyedhair wasunacceptable That?sjust howit alwayswas,but Campbell?smindscreamedit didn? t havetobe

?Another bigpieceof mymusical journey that'simportant tomegoing forwardisthat wemake [classical music] accessible,and part of that is being acceptingof all different typesof people,? Campbell said ?Who theyare really doesn't matter So manydifferent peoplecanenjoy thesamemusic regardlessof their differences?

WhenCOVIDhit andviolawent virtual, Campbell felt freedfromtheclutchesof classical musicconformity Sotheybeganexperimenting withtheir appearance First,theyshavedtheir head,arockstar ritual tosymbolizenew beginnings Theydyedit everycolor they couldn? t before:neongreen,bright red,electric blue Theypiercedtheir nose,piercedtheir eyebrow,piercedtheir lip Campbell adopted they/thempronounsandthename?Z?

?BeingabletolookthewayI want tolook andnot careabout what other peoplethink hasdefinitelytransferredintomyplayingand just beingmoreconfident ingeneral,being abletoget uponstageandfeel goodinwhat I'mwearingandwhoI am,?Campbell said ?It hasdefinitelymadememoreexpressive,more connectedtomyemotionsandmyexperiences inawaythat'shelpedme channel that intomy music?

Tosenior violinist TheaKrische,Campbell is aninspiration

Throughout their four yearsinaquartet together,Krischehas watchedCampbell play withpassion Campbell stompsall over stereotypesandupliftseveryensemblein whichtheyplay

?SeeingZcomeout,it just reallyshowsyou, ?Hey,thereisaspacefor peoplelike usintheclassical world,??Krische said ?Wedon't havetofit one mold I thinkalot of people havethisideaof orchestrathat we'resomestuffygroupof peoplewhoonlyever play Mozart,andI think Zreally defiesthosenorms They'll show upwithacroppedheadof bright redhair,andthey'll playatango, they'll playsomeTexasfiddle They?rearockstar?

?KeepAustinWeird? ringstrue at

McCallum,withitsvast arrayof fashion choicesandopen-mindedculture,makingit hardtopinpoint the"norm"But onstage, Campbell knowstheystickout Twoyearsago, Campbell heardtheywerelikelythefirst nonbinarypersontoearnatop-fiveviola chair inthetopAll-State orchestra

?I walkintoaroom, andI definitelydon't fit in,?Campbell said ?It canbealittle intimidating,andI feel likeI reallytrynot tolet it get tome But it is weirdtobethat person, especiallywhen interactingwitholder peopleandadultsthat areintheclassical music world There'snot alot of spacefor somebody whoisjust wildlyself-expressive?

Campbell spent last summer at theGreen MountainChamber MusicFestival in Vermont,masteringquartet repertoireunder theguidanceof world-classinstructors Surroundedbyother passionatestringplayers, includingafewnonbinarygraduatestudents, Campbell felt trulyseenfor thefirst time Emotionstraveledthroughstrings,and musical storiespassedfromonequeer musiciantoanother

?Just gettingtoseethemonthestage, performingat suchahighlevel,it waslike, ?Wow,youcandoit,evenif you'redifferent, evenif peoplehavetheir opinionsabout you, youcanget upthereandblow everyoneaway,??Campbell said ?It wasreallyemotional tohavethat moment of watchingsomebodyup therewhoI canrelatetointheir experiencewithgender and not fittingin,just beingable toperformexactlyhowI hopetointhefuture? But for Krische, everyperformancewithCampbell isalready monumental Onesectionleader toanother, Campbell hastaught her tobededicatedtoher art ?Zisoneof thepeoplewho'sreally inspired metobemorepassionateabout my music,? Krischesaid ?Beingin aquartet with them, they'realwaysbringingthe groupup,and I don't want tobetheonetobringthe groupdown Wherever they goafter this,they'll succeed; I knowthey will becauseI don't think Zis stoppable It'san unstoppableforceversus immovableobject typeof deal And they'reboth?

Accordingtojunior violist HarrisonKnight, playingwithCampbell is likeplayingwithaprofessional musician ?They'resomeonetolook uptobecause they'redoingthingscorrectly,"Knight said "They'realsoaninspiration,onanindividual level They'reencouragingverbally,likethey'll helpyoudothingsandexplainprocessesthat areimportant ?

Knight saysthat Campbell?spresenceisahuge part of what makesorchestraspecial AsKnight preparestomoveintoaleadershiprolewithin theviolasection,heisgrateful tohavewatched Campbell leadbyexample

?I'mkindof terrifiedbecauseI?mgoingto havetotakeover what they'redoing,andit's verybigshoestofill,?Knight said ThedaybeforeCampbell?s18th birthday,theywereacceptedtoThe JuilliardSchool,themost prestigious conservatoryintheworld

?I remember inmiddleschool andeven elementaryschool beinglike,?Wow,it would besocool toget intoJuilliard;that wouldreally meanyou'vemadeit,??Campbell said

But whenCampbell openedtheir acceptance letter fromOberlinConservatory,their heart grewafewsizes Ever sincetheir audition,they knewOberlinwasaplacewheretheycouldgrow alongsidelike-mindedstudents

?I hopethat wherever I amisexactlywhereI needtobe,?Campbell said ?I hopeI'll growso muchandjust become20milliontimesbetter thanI amnowinall aspectsof mylife?

AsCampbell movesontoOberlinandbeyond, theyhopetospreadmorethanjust beautiful music wherever their violatakes them

They hopeto tour the worldina quartet of other queer musicians, fulfillingtheir dreamof makingclassical musicaccessibletoall

?Whether youknowit or not,somebodyout thereisgoingtoseeyousucceedingandbeing whoyouare Andit'sgoingtohaveanimpact on them,?Campbell said

?It'ssoimportant for anyone,transgender, nonconformingor gaytojust reallystickwith musicnomatter what anyonesays,becausewe arecreative,andweareunique.Andthat'swhat musicneeds?