Music fills sophomore’s days

Sophomore Liz Pekas is more than a little musically inclined.

She has been a paid musician for the past six years, playing in pit orchestras. Her specialty is the clarinet, but she also plays saxophone, bassoon, percussion and has experience with brass instruments. In total, she owns 14 instruments.

Her passion for music began in the fifth grade, when Pekas said she wanted to play the trombone, but her mother picked the clarinet instead.

“(The trombone) is obnoxious,” Pekas said. “But everyone says I don’t look like a clarinet player.”

She said she became more serious with the clarinet in the eighth grade and has pursued music ever since.

In December, Pekas started her own music studio. She currently has four students, most of which are advanced clarinet players.

After graduating from the University of South Dakota, Pekas plans to attend graduate school for music performance. Pekas said as a fallback, she would attend medical school or pursue zoology.

“I’ve always had a passion for science,” Pekas said.

If she were to pursue science, Pekas said her multiple surgeries from martial arts injuries would convince her to become an orthopedic surgeon.

In the spring, Pekas has a pair of high profile auditions for the Sarasota Music Festival and the Buffet Academy in Florida.

Through training in the martial arts, Pekas said she has strengthened her dedication to music through rigorous training. She has a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do, and first degrees in other types of martial arts.

“I like the discipline and perseverance martial arts has given me,” Pekas said. “I go from a broken hand to a musical hand.”

Because of the martial arts, Pekas has hurt her knee, shoulder and broken multiple bones. Injuries that have a recovery time of three to six months, but have yet to slow her down.

“Martial arts feeds the fire,” Pekas said.

When she’s not practicing martial arts or honing her music skills, Pekas runs. She uses Vibram FiveFingers running shoes, which mimic barefoot running. Pekas will often wake up at 6 a.m. to go for a run, and then practice the clarinet when she’s finished.

As a member of the marching band, Pekas spends four hours a week as the section leader for the clarinets. On campus, she is also a member of the symphonic band, orchestra, clarinet quartet and woodwind quintet.

“You get a lot more opportunity to work with people in a small group,” Pekas said. “You learn a lot from it.”

In the future, Pekas hopes to play in an orchestra and become a recording artist. Her dream would be to be a recording artist for Disney, or to be a contemporary clarinet artist, utilizing beat boxing.

“I know I want to do it for the rest of my life,” Pekas said. “Some days, I want to be in a ska band. If clarinet could ever be ska, I call dibs.”

She has already written original music, most of which she said is inspired by her friends.

“I just write, and I go with it,” Pekas said. “I like to think a lot about my friends’ personalities when I’m writing music.”

Sophomore Rachel Berte is a roommate of Pekas.

“There’s a lot of music played in our apartment,” Berte said.

Her roommate has also had experience with Pekas’ martial arts skills and describes her as quirky, fun and musical.

“We like to fight with each other in a friendly way,” Berte said. “I win accidentally sometimes.”

Sophomore Sarah Schmidt is also roommates with Pekas, along with being a fellow music student. The two are planning a joint recital in the spring.

“It is very musical in here,” Schmidt said. “There is always music going on.”

The two began working together during high school, and bonded last year over being the only first-years in the Honors program to be music performance majors.

“Liz’s music style is a lot like Liz,” Schmidt said. “When she’s playing fast and upbeat, the way she articulates her entrance is quirky, like Liz.”