Q&A WITH NA STUDENT-ARTISTS

Miranda Jiang ’23 and Abhi Varadarajan ’23

From visual arts to theater, Newark Academy Arts offers the opportunity for self expression and educational development for students. Miranda Jiang ’23 and Abhi Varadarajan ’23, both of whom are nearing the completion of their senior year at NA, reminisce and share fond memories about their experiences as NA student-artists.

Q: What are your favorite extracurricular activities both at and outside of Newark Academy?

Miranda Jiang : Outside of school, I’ve been involved in the Juilliard PreCollege Program since my sophomore year. Here at Newark Academy, I play baritone saxophone for Chameleon (NA’s top-tier big band). The bassoon is my primary instrument and I consider it to be a big part of my identity.

Q: What are your memorable moments within the NA Arts program?

MJ: When I first joined Chameleon, I was really intimidated because jazz is such a big part of our school’s culture. But everyone who’s been here as part of the jazz program has helped me a lot. I’m really grateful that being at Newark Academy, I get to experience this other aspect of music.

AV: For both choir and jazz, I would say the communities are what I’ll remember most. Both programs are tight-knit and supportive of each other, which makes our final product even stronger. The people I’ve met through music are who I’ll remember the most.

Q: What lessons have you learned from these experiences?

MJ: I think studying music is something that really takes a lot of resilience, and it’s also something you have to be passionate about. You have to enjoy the time you’re spending on improving yourself as a musician because there is no off-season. When I have more time on the weekend, after I’m done with academic work, I’m thinking, “Oh, I have more time to practice now.” It may sound unexciting to many people, but this is the amount of dedication you need to remain competitive at such a high level.

AV: I would say, especially this year, I’ve learned through music to be adaptable and versatile in everything I do. This year, I saw that translate to saxophone because now in Chameleon, I’m being asked to play three different types of saxophone: soprano, alto and tenor. Through choir, I’ve been able to step into a more prominent leadership role which I wouldn’t have developed anywhere else. As a section leader, I’ve helped newer students settle in quickly to help the ensemble function as a unit.

Q: In what ways has NA’s Arts programs uniquely prepared you for the future?

Abhi Varadarajan: I participate in both music and sports. I take Carnatic music lessons (South Indian classical music) vocally outside of school to keep me connected with my culture. At NA, I’m part of the Concert Choir, Academy Voices and Chameleon, where I play the saxophone. As far as sports go, I enjoy running cross country and track.

I think the most important thing I’ve always tried to take away from music, at the end of the day, is that it’s supposed to be fun. I’ve found that at NA.”

MJ: The music program here, especially the jazz program, really offers students a way to showcase themselves beyond who they are as students in a classroom, which I think is really important. Before coming to NA, I just saw music as more of a hobby and something I did for fun. But the NA community’s appreciation and support for the arts has allowed my hobby to develop into something greater. My plan is to pursue a dual degree in college for bassoon performance and economics.

AV: The mentality at the end of the day, especially when I’m doing something really challenging, is to just stick it out and work through it. And that happens in cross country sometimes too. Especially being a distance runner, I just have to keep the pace steady and work through it because there are a lot of times when practice is more of a slow and steady thing, as opposed to a sprint. It’s similar with music. When playing the saxophone, I’ll have trouble with playing a certain musical figure one day … but then I come back the next day and it’s suddenly under my fingers. Sometimes, I have to remind myself if I’m struggling early on to think about the long game.