Kaitlyn Chen

Hi, I'm Kaitlyn :) I'm originally from California but I came to Georgia about 5 years ago.

Growing up, I went through the cycle that almost every child goes through: you see something you like, you try it, and suddenly you're completely obsessed with it. I tried art, karate, tennis, and even ice skating (surprisingly, I only fell once while learning). But the one thing that I somewhat stuck with for a decent amount of time was music.

In 4th grade, the school forced us to choose either band, chorus, or orchestra. After each presentation made by the music teachers, I picked orchestra. Although the cello was (and still is) the best sounding instrument in my opinion, I ended up choosing the violin. It was extremely difficult at first. I would often get frustrated with myself because the sound I was producing wasn't what I wanted it to be. However, with time and guidance from my teacher, I improved dramatically.

During the summer before 8th grade, we made the big move. Unfortunately, the middle school I attended didn't have orchestra. During that time, I contemplated if I even wanted to continue playing, and after thinking it through, I made the decision to quit.

Fast forward to the end of my freshman year of high school, the thought of playing in an orchestra reemerged. I missed the sound of playing with other students, and even though I wasn't the best at playing, I still made my best memories while making music. My friend eventually convinced me to join, and I was able to play music for the last three years of my high school career. Besides being able to play violin again, I met so many people through this class. Honestly, our orchestra felt like a family because of how connected we were. We bonded through our concerts, orchestra related events, and of course, our class time at school.

I decided not to join the orchestra here at UGA (I quit for sure this time) because I want to focus on my studies. Nevertheless, when I'm bored at home, I'll grab my violin and play some tunes, just so I can reminisce about the fun times I had back in my high school orchestra :)