February, 2019

Our winter student spotlight is on Jesse Nieman, 15, of Portland, Oregon. Jesse began piano lessons in South Korea seven years ago and is currently studying with MusicLink Teacher of Distinction Pauline Eidemiller. Jesse was previously homeschooled and is now attending Portland Community College doing a program which allows him to go to college at his young age. Jesse has participated actively in and won many OMTA festivals, as well as a scholarship from the Piano Santa Foundation. He has performed in masterclasses with Hans Boepple, Dr. Jane Magrath, Jeffrey LaDeur, Denes Varjon, and Dr. Nicholas Reynolds. Jesse is very active with his music and plays frequently for his church, retirement homes, private parties, and various other organizations, as well as teaching piano to four students. He also plays violin and frequently performs in two different quartets. Jesse has been a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic for 5 years, and currently plays violin as the assistant concertmaster in PYCO. In addition to music, Jesse enjoys swimming, bowling, spending time with his friends and attending youth group.

Jesse's teacher, Pauline Eidemiller, said, "Jesse is a naturally talented musician and has been constantly growing by leaps and bounds in the nearly 4 years he has been my student. It's is a real joy guiding him and watching him grow."

About his passion and MusicLink Jesse said, "I love music. Music makes up a large part of my life, and piano is a very important part of this. Without music, much of my life would be empty. The more I play and learn piano, the more I want to play and learn. The music and the repertoire never seem to stop getting beautiful and endless. Music could not be part of my life if I did not have a teacher and access to music. Through MusicLink I was able to start taking lessons again. My teacher has been a huge blessing and has taught me so much about music. I have never had such a wonderful teacher. My teacher has helped me mature musically and has taught me so much about music."

In addition to lessons, MusicLink's business partners support our students. Jesse said, "MusicLink has also allowed me to go to many concerts. These concerts oftentimes inspire me to play more and to learn more. Portland Piano International often has events where students can meet the performer. It was amazing being able to talk to and get to know the performer on a personal level, that is undoubtedly rare. MusicLink has also helped me attend many festivals that have helped me get a lot of invaluable experience performing and even provided a language scholarship. I also am currently playing on a grand piano that is generously on loan from the Piano Santa Foundation. This piano has truly enabled me to reach goals that I previously would never have dreamed of. Finally, MusicLink has helped me build up my library of music. I really love and appreciate MusicLink and hope that many others will get the chance to experience it also." We are excited to continue to watch Jesse grow and learn, and can't wait to see where his passion takes him!

September, 2019

Nygel Witherspoon (photo by Alejandro Pena)

MusicLink has long known the Witherspoon "kids," from when they first began MusicLink lessons at age nine (Alistair), seven (Imala) and six (Nygel). It seems like only yesterday when we saw these highly talented students grow through lessons with excellent teachers, experiences at summer programs with MusicLink camp scholarship help and a string of awards and performances that highlighted their capabilities. Now Nygel is 17 years old and an accomplished musician who won first place in the junior division of the prestigious Sphinx Competition. This award entitles Nygel the opportunity to perform solos with major orchestras as well as performing on From the Top, a nationally broadcast radio show. David Holmes taught Nygel through MusicLink from the start to age 16 when he enrolled in the University of Minnesota. He explains that Nygel "was calm and serene, with an innate ability to focus. His passion hit him early on. He has perfect pitch and an incredible drive." (Star Tribune article, March 15, 2019). Nygel is currently a senior at Connections Academy Online School and attends post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) at the University of Minnesota studying cello performance with Tanya Remenikova. He will begin undergraduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in the fall, studying with Peter Wiley.