Daytona State music student aims for the top

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2014) - Daytona State College student Juaquin Trumpet wants to one day be regarded among the best violinists in the world, and it looks like he’s headed in the right direction.

Trumpet, a sophomore in Daytona State’s instrumental music program, earned top honors in the string division of the 2014 Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Winter Music Symposium at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Competing against 10 other string instrumentalists in his division, Trumpet, 19, won for his performance of Henryk Wieniawski’s Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16.

“It was an impressive performance of what is considered a highly technical piece, especially considering that Juaquin just picked up the violin seven years ago and has been self-taught until he began his formal instruction at the college two years ago,” said Peter Waidelich, director of instrumental music and assistant chair of the Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment and Art at Daytona State.

The FCSAA and the Florida Association of Schools of Music (FASM) sponsor the student artist contest every year. Students compete in categories of brass, keyboard, percussion, strings, woodwinds, classical guitar, voice and jazz performance.

With his win in the string division, and upon earning his associate of arts degree from Daytona State, Trumpet will receive a music scholarship of $1,000 per year for two years from a participating college or university that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

“I hope to transfer to Stetson after DSC,” he said, “but after that, I only know that music will be my main thing.”

Trumpet is a graduate of Colonial High School in Orlando. Upon earning his diploma, he enrolled at Daytona State where he found the tuition to be affordable and had family living in the area.

While he plays multiple instruments, he said his first choice is the violin. Similarly, he’s keeping his options open as far as his future career is concerned. “I’d like to become a professional musician, a composer or a teacher, maybe get some of my music published,” he said. “I’m interested in film scoring, too, and have an idea for a movie.”

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