MONROE — One minute Marianne Martinoli, David Bushnell and Arielle Howard were three teenagers gathered at one of their homes, cracking jokes and chatting. The next, their faces were transformed by music.
They were a violinist, a cellist and a pianist.
Marianne, 13; David, 15; and Arielle, 16, formed the Aridanne Trio about three months ago so they can play a Christmas concert to raise money for a group of kids to go to World Youth Day in Spain next summer.
World Youth Day is an annual celebration and a kind of pilgrimage for young Catholics from around the world. About 30 kids and 10 adults from St. Mary of the Valley Catholic church in Monroe are planning to go. Arielle is one of them.
“It’s going to be a great cultural and spiritual experience for me,” she said.
The trio plans to play about a dozen songs and one solo piece each, which they picked out themselves. They’ve been rehearsing together at least once a week since September. Of course, each spends many more hours at home practicing.
All three are home-schooled.
Arielle and Marianne, whose families attend St. Mary of the Valley, have known each other for years. Marianne met David through Seattle Youth Symphony, where they both play.
The trio recently performed at the Best of the Northwest arts festival in Seattle.
“It was kind of interesting,” David said. “You open up your case and you sit by the side of the street.”
Lots of people stopped by to compliment the young musicians.
For each of them, music holds a special appeal.
David was inspired by his grandfather, who was a famous pianist in Taiwan. They even played together when David was younger. He has been invited to Taiwan next year to take part in a big concert planned in his grandfather’s memory.
Marianne’s mother, Julie Martinoli, used to get her daughter “Classical Kids” CDs, a series of recordings that introduce children to classical music. They used to listen together to “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” and “Mr. Bach Comes to Call.”
When Marianne was about 4, she “literally started begging to play the violin,” Martinoli said. As someone who prides herself on teaching to her children’s passions, she looked for and found Marianne a good teacher.
“I love violin music, the way it sounds,” Marianne said. “It really fits my personality.”
Arielle’s parents lead the choir at their church. Susan Howard always wanted to play the piano as a child but didn’t get to. She encouraged her older children to study music and was happy to watch Arielle become a pianist.
“I don’t think teenagers are immune to classical music; they are just not exposed,” Howard said.
Arielle also loves to read, studies Irish dance, is interested in politics and served as a page this past legislative session. She and Marianne both are teaching music to younger students.
Marianne hunts, fishes and swims in the lake near her family’s log cabin home. She is interested in teaching violin and playing in the orchestra.
David wants to go into the U.S. Air Force Academy, taking after his other grandfather. He doesn’t plan to pursue a career in music.
“My grandfather literally was composing music on his deathbed. I don’t want that to be my life,” he said.
On a recent Tuesday evening, the teens gathered at the Howards’ home for rehearsal. Arielle showed off her new piano. She was playing on an electronic one until recently. Susan Howard was having a cup of tea and Julie Martinoli settled in the living room with a book she had brought.
David, Marianne and Arielle are clearly excited about being able to help.
“Marianne knows that these kids will come back from Europe and change the world,” Martinoli said. “Their trip will have a ripple effect on our community.”
Christmas concert
The Aridanne Trio Christmas Concert is planned for 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at Lord Hill Farms, 12525 Old Snohomish Monroe Road, Snohomish. Tickets are $25 for the matinee, and $50 for the dinner concert. The deadline to buy tickets for the dinner concert is Friday. To buy tickets, go to www.faithraisers.org or call 360-794-8945.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452; kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
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