PCM: Why did you want to start playing guitar to begin with and what do you like most about it?
BH: I started playing when I was 5, so I didn’t really have a choice at first, but I remember thinking how cool it was to be able to play songs I knew like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Now, my favorite thing about guitar is probably the feeling of accomplishment I get after learning a particularly challenging piece. It’s really rewarding to be able to play a piece exactly as I hear it in my head after weeks of solid practice.

PCM: What piece are you most looking forward to learning and why?
BH: I just finished learning the Prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite No.1 in G major, which I played for my most recent recital, and I really enjoyed that experience. It was probably the hardest song I’ve played yet and the most engaged I’ve ever been with a piece. Right now, I’m working on a Caprice by Luigi Legnani, which is a lot different than the Prelude but really fun so far.

PCM: Are you participating in any extracurricular activities (musical or not)?
BH: I’m really involved with the Model UN club at my school, we actually just had an online conference on Saturday. I joined as a freshman as a way to develop my interest in politics and to improve my public speaking skills and ended up getting a lot of my friends involved as well. It’s a really fun club but it also pushes me to learn more about what’s going on in the world and test my debate skills.

PCM: Who is your favorite musician and why?
BH: This is a really hard question because I listen to a lot of different types of music, but if I had to choose one artist I’d have to say Bruce Springsteen. He’s one of the greatest performers ever and it’s really inspiring to see how much of himself he puts into his work. His songs are catchy but they’re narrative too, and full of passion.

PCM: What is your favorite memory at PCM?
BH: My favorite memory at PCM is probably when we had a “Meet the Instruments” day where I got to watch a bunch of little kids play around with guitars. Some of them were too little to hold even the smallest guitars we had, which was really cute. And of course, I love the recitals too, especially when I see younger kids playing the same songs I did at that age. I’m definitely going to miss PCM when I leave, but I’ll always feel a strong connection.