For Bienen junior Tehya Shapiro, much of her decision to pursue music was because of its ability to bring people together.
“Making music for people is something really special, and it connects people,” Shapiro said. “It’s one language.”
Shapiro, a trumpet performance major, hails from a family of musicians, with both of her parents playing instruments professionally.
She said a large part of her decision to attend Northwestern and major in trumpet performance was due to the Bienen School of Music’s “excellent” brass conservatory, and, specifically, the opportunity to study under Bienen Prof. David Bilger.
“He is considered one of the greatest orchestral trumpet players in history,” Shapiro said. “He’s a really great person and a great player.”
Bilger spent 27 years as the principal trumpet of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has taught at NU as a lecturer since 2018 and professor since 2022.
According to Bilger, community among students is one of the most important aspects of Bienen as well as the practice and dedication required. He said Shapiro sets an example of success and work ethic for the students around her.
“She has this pit bull-like determination combined with resilience, and those two personality traits serve her really well both as a student and as a leader,” Bilger said.
On a typical day, Shapiro said she often arrives at Bienen to practice around 7 a.m., and doesn’t return home until late in the day. She said while dedicating most of her free time to practicing is worth it, many students outside of Bienen don’t realize the time commitment required of a music major.
“The weekend isn’t also the weekend for us,” Shapiro said. “We have to practice on the weekends too.”
Bienen sophomore Lilie Shlyak said one of the most motivating things for her is working with upperclassmen like Shapiro.
“Our studio is just so talented overall,” Shlyak said. “Tehya in particular is one of the hardest workers I know, and has improved so much over the past two years since I’ve known her. That really inspires me to keep going no matter what.”
In the summers, Shapiro performs at festivals, which she described as similar to an internship. Music students travel and perform at these festivals around the world, often alongside professional musicians. She said one of her favorite pieces she has ever performed was for a festival in Taiwan.
“My favorite piece I’ve ever played was by (Richard) Strauss, which is a very challenging composer, and it was called ‘Till Eulenspiegel Merry Pranks,’ and I played that in Taiwan,” Shapiro said. “It is just a very, very challenging one that kind of warps time, and you have to be intuitive and know everybody’s parts so it can fit together cohesively.”
Shapiro said one of the most challenging parts about being a Bienen student is preventing burnout and comparison to other students.
She said that what matters most is focusing on individual goals and successes and embracing the community that Bienen provides.
“It can be very hard to just get up in the beginning of the day and practice. It can be very discouraging and you get confidence issues, especially comparing yourself to others,” she said. “You have to just learn that everyone is on their own path.”
Shapiro said the best part about Bienen is being able to work with other talented musicians, from underclassmen to graduate students.
Bienen first-year Kylie Holes, a trumpet performance major, said upperclassmen like Shapiro have helped her to adjust to life in Bienen.
“Tehya is a very bubbly and really kind person and has just been so helpful in sections, showing us how to be good leaders and a good role model,” Holes said. “She is very musically gifted; every time I listen to her play I get more inspired in my own playing.”
Shapiro said she plans to pursue a master’s degree in music and become a professional musician. She said one piece of advice she would give to an incoming Bienen student is to be friendly and outgoing.
“It can be hard to not compare yourself to others,” Shapiro said. “But try, and have fun and remember we’re all here to learn from each other.”
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