Cover story

By CAMDEN LAZENBY

clazenby@shawmedia.com

SYCAMORE – Since they were preteens, Emma Fredericks and Eva Peterson have performed violin at Sycamore businesses during the holidays, and this Friday they’ll return, as high school students, for perhaps the last time.

Their paired performances started early, when they met through private lessons with Northern Illinois University’s Suzuki Strings program as the girls entered grade school. It’s evolved over the years to become a highlight in downtown Sycamore’s Moonlight Magic event, hosted by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce.

Fredericks, 17, now a Sycamore High School senior, said she’s looking forward to Friday’s performance, and understands the duo won’t last forever. Peterson agreed, saying their paths could diverge after this season as Fredericks heads off to college next year.

“I mean it would be pretty cool if we could do it as we get older,” said Peterson, 16, a Sycamore High School junior. “But we’re both going to be so busy with our lives – especially since Emma’s going to college and doing all of these great things.”

It’s been years since the girls first met at lessons, but that meeting left an impact.

“My very first lesson that I ever had, Emma played ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ for me, because she was the lesson right before I was,” said Peterson, who’s been playing since she was 6. “And that was like the very first time I’d ever met Emma and that was so cool to me.”

Fast forward five years later to 2017 and a new upscale women’s clothing store called Lizzy’s Pink Boutique had just opened in downtown Sycamore.

Wanting to stand out during Moonlight Magic – a holiday shopping event hosted by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce – Lizzy Oparyk of Lizzy’s Pink Boutique asked Peterson to perform at the store as a part of the shopping event.

A staple feature of Moonlight Magic invites area performers, Santa and

Photo provided by Eileen Garvin Emma Fredericks and Eva Peterson first performed at Lizzy’s Pink Boutique when they were preteens in November 2017. Now five years later, they’re looking forward to finishing what may be their final holiday season of performances together.

even Mrs. Clause to sit in storefront windows to greet patrons and welcome the holiday season. The magic this year will start at 6 p.m. Friday and run through 8 p.m. It will feature 14 downtown businesses.

Peterson, only 11 at the time, was in need of a partner for the performance so she asked Fredericks, then 12, to join her. That November 2017 performance showed the pair what they could do performing together.

“We found that we did duets really well together,” Fredericks said. “And as time went on, we just kind of started doing more and more gigs until we made an actual business and made a Facebook account and business cards and such. So it’s been a solid five or so years.”

The violins-for-hire pair goes by Eva and Emma: Classical Duettes, and are featured in local private and public events.

The girls have played the violin in front of a live audience for most of their lives. Fredericks said her anxiety before performances has gotten easier with time. ”[But] the jitters, the nervousness never really goes away,” she said.

Fredericks said having someone like Peterson beside her helps temper the fear.

“It really helps just like to have someone to relate to and to look over and see her also in the spotlight,” Fredericks said.

Recently, the duet played in Elburn, and this past weekend performed at the Wonderful World of Christmas craft and vendor show at Genoa-Kingston High School. As they’ve aged, however, the girls said they’ve gotten fewer gigs.

“We’re kind of at that age where we’re not very young anymore. ... We got hired a lot more because we were younger and it was like really cool that they were like such young kids playing,” Peterson said. “But now that we’re older, it’s kind of like they don’t really want us anymore.”

Nevertheless, the local violinists are looking forward to performances they have scheduled over the next few months.

Photo provided by Northern Illinois University Northern Illinios University students Angelica Navarrete (left) and James Westlund were awarded the Fierce Gamer Scholarship.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois University recently named the recipients of the Fierce Gamer Scholarship.

This past spring, Dr. Levi Harrison announced that he would award a $1,000 scholarship to one NIU student for the 2022-23 school year. Harrison found himself faced with two applications so exceptional that he chose to award the scholarships to both students, according to a news release.

The recipients of the Fierce Gamer Scholarship are Angelica Navarrete and James Westlund.

Navarrete began playing video games as a way of connecting with her younger brother. She is a senior majoring in psychology. Navarrete plans to pursue a career as a college academic adviser after completing her degree in May.

Westlund has been playing video games since the age of 4. He is a senior majoring in management and plays “Overwatch” on the NIU varsity esports team. Westlund is pursuing his professional sales certificate in the NIU College of Business. He plans to get a job in sales or marketing after graduating in May.

Both Navarrete and Westlund applied to the Fierce Gamer Scholarship because it combines academics and video gaming, showing that the two can go hand in hand and be part of a healthy, balanced approach to college life.

For information about NIU Esports, visit niu.edu/esports.

SANDWICH – Fox Valley Community Services recently received a $1,500 donation from the City Heat Motorcycle Association.

City Heat, composed of current or retired police offices, donates to a nonprofit of its choice generated every year by a fundraiser.

FVCS receives donations from multiple organizations to help hundreds of seniors maintain vital and independent lives.

FVCS serves seniors in DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and LaSalle counties in active adult activities at the Senior Center, adult day service and home services.

For information, call 815-786-9404. –Shaw Local News Network

Continued from page 6

Fredericks said she’s really enjoy playing duets with Peterson. As a high school senior, however, she’s looking ahead to her life in college and hopes to go to a school in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“I really enjoyed this duet with Eva but I’m going to be going, I don’t know, pretty far away for college and I feel as though with my studies I’m probably not going to have time,” Fredericks said. “But I’m certain we’re probably both going to be in orchestras at the very least, like in our colleges, if we go to college, so we’re still going to stay in music.”

Peterson also said she understands this chapter in her life could close soon, which makes performing at Lizzy’s Pink Boutique – where it all began – all the more special come Friday.

“I think this is a thing for just right now,” Peterson said.

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