Q/A with orchestra all-state qualifier Jun Park

Last year violinist Jun Park became the first orchestra all-state qualifier from Rider in three decades. Now a sophomore, Park not only repeated the feat, but he was the top violinist in Class 5A. The Rider Chronicle talked with Park about his accomplishments.

Q: Did you expect to get into state again?

A: Yeah, I expected it. I mean, the seniors have graduated, and there’s always the freshmen who are the wildcards, but overall I still expected to be the one to make it. 

Q: What’s the most fun part about the violin?

A: Just being able to recreate the music you’ve heard and liked. And you can kind of play it as your own, the way that you want to play it.

Q: Are you more or less nervous going into state this year than last?

A: More. I set really high expectations for myself last year, going into state. And going in this year, I feel like I have to do better than I did last year, which has been very stressful.

Q: What are your plans for the future with the violin after high school?

A: I want to continue to play violin in college, maybe minor in it. I’d like to join a local orchestra when I grow up. That is pretty much what I have, I don’t want to pursue a professional music career mostly because I wouldn’t get paid a lot.

Q: How often do you practice a week

A: I practice about seven hours a week, an hour every day.

Q: What do you think of when you think about the violin?

A: I think of a wide range. You can play a lot of different music with it, I think that’s what I associate it with, its versatility.