Manitou Springs High School has an orchestra, band and jazz band which all require a lot of dedication and practice like a sports team. Also like sports, musicians can play outside of school in other groups which take auditioning among a bigger group, and this is something the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony provides. Comprising six different groups within the organization, auditions for the group will get a musician placed into one of the groups based on talent and skill.
Mateo Racho Pluth, a MSHS sophomore, practices his violin a lot and because of this, in the first weeks of summer vacation, he will be off to Japan touring around the country playing multiple shows for multiple audiences with the Youth Symphony.
Racho Pluth has been a member of the group for quite a while now. “I play violin. So my first year, I was somehow ranked into the fifth group, which is Ovation, which is a pretty prestigious group,” Racho Pluth said. “To get into that group you have to be pretty skilled and you must audition. Along with the audition you have to practice, my goal for practicing is 40 minutes a day, four times a week plus I have a lesson every Saturday.”
Racho Pluth has been playing for about four years and originally was hesitant to join. “I’d been playing for a couple years maybe 3 and last year, my teacher kept pushing me to join, and I kept putting it off, and finally I did, I auditioned.”
Unfortunately though, setbacks were part of the journey. “I had worked hard all spring for my audition and then a day before my audition I broke my thumb and I had to recover and redo my audition, relearn the music, and then I still somehow made it,” Racho Pluth said. Including the performances, the Youth Symphony provides social aspects that Rancho Pluth appreciates. There’s lot of different people I can meet, and I’m good friends with my conductor. It’s just good to be able to talk and also experience playing in a really good orchestra,” Racho Pluth said.
From being inspired to play a theme Racho Pluth has come a long way in his musical journey. “I heard the ‘Schindler’s List’ theme and thought that’s really pretty, I wanted the ability to play this piece.”
Now Racho Pluth can play a lot more songs. “I do like the ‘Concerto Number One’ by Bach and also the Schindler’s theme, because now I know how to play it, it’s just really pretty. Sometimes I’ll just play any solo that I can find,” Racho Pluth said.
Racho Pluth is looking forward to the new experiences he will have in Japan. “I feel taking this trip opens me up to other cultures, and lets me see other things. I’ve never toured or gone and played anywhere aside from Colorado, so it’s gonna be really different, fun and a good cultural experience.”
In the future though, Racho Pluth will always have something to turn to for a hobby. “Violin will always be something that’s with me, if I want when I get older, and life gets steadier, I could try again and have the fundamentals down,” he said.
The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony is an extracurricular activity, it takes up time like anything else and Racho Pluth is engaged in lots of activities. “Especially in this season, I’ll be at school, I’ll go to after school lifting, it’s 4: 30 by then, and I’ll get home to do my violin and homework and during the athletic season it is more difficult, but somehow I manage to fit it all in,” he said.
Although it sometimes can feel like a lot, Racho Pluth knows it will pay off for opportunities like the Japan Trip. “Practicing is not as appealing but I’m excited for the Japan trip, concerts are great and my rehearsals are good. So in general it’s still fun,” he said.
On the tour, Racho Pluth will visit multiple cities but is most excited for the capital, Tokyo. “As a whole, Japan excites me,” he said. “I think there’s a couple of other cities that are different, but I’m really excited for Tokyo, I mean, it’s the main city.”
