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The Universal Art of Music By Olivia Kim and Linlin Liu Music is a universal form of art and expression that encompasses culture, creativity, and history. No matter who you are or where you are from, everyone can understand the language of music. It has the power to bridge divisions, bring people together, and create a sense of community, which is incredibly important during this time as COVID-19 affects our world. Loma Linda Academy provides its students with this valuable skill by hosting both an orchestra as well as a number of choirs and bands. In these programs, students are able to learn how to read music, understand musical terms, express themselves, and experience a new culture or period of history. Loma Linda Academy currently showcases an audition choir, known as Pro Musica, as well as audition bands, such as Concert Winds and Wind Symphony, for students who want an in-depth and advanced musical experience. Elden Borillo, a high school senior, is the bass section leader and sings in the choir as a baritone. He related his favorite parts about being in Pro Musica and singing as “learning from a diverse library of music and bonding with everyone in Pro Musica.” Many of his best memories from choir are the tours, as Pro Musica has been to England, Thailand, Arizona, and many other places. Senior Karina Lim, the principal of the flute section of Wind Symphony, said, “I chose to join
the band because I love music and it brings my stress down. Honestly, my favorite part of being in the Wind Symphony is playing my solos and performing for other people.”
learn how to play as a group, and it’s different from playing alone because you have to listen to other instruments. You get to know other people in the band, and other parts of the music, like bass clarinet.”
Lim related the importance of music in her life, having said, “I play music because I feel like my life would be really boring without it. And just doing school work all day would be really boring, honestly. But music just brings color into your life.” Borillo encouraged students to join the school’s musical program, having said, “You should join the music program if you have even the slightest interest in music. By simply being with a group, you can find out what you like and grow musically as a person.” Lim advised, “You will definitely
Music can also serve as a way to express yourself in ways deeper than words. Borillo said, “I love how I can express myself in a way that can’t be totally described by words, and it’s something you have to sing or play to fully know.” Even now, despite the restrictions of quarantine, Pro Musica continues to find ways to break through barriers and produce music. They have recently recorded a video performance of one of their songs that was played during Loma Linda University Church’s Easter service, and the video is linked at the end of the
