The Spirit of Cerritos: Meet Cerritos High's Ian Quiambao

Editor's Note: Patch will be posting musician profiles and features in anticipation of the  . 

My name is Ian Quiambao, I am a sophomore, and I play saxophone for the CHS Wind Symphony. Being invited to play at the Olympic Games in London is truly an honor. This once in a lifetime opportunity was not just given to us. All the members of the Wind Symphony had to dedicate themselves to getting into the program and sacrifice a lot of their time to prepare for our performances in Europe. 

Only the best musicians in the school were given this chance to bring music to the world stage. We all had to go through an audition in order to get into the ensemble, and even though we earned a chair, we still had a lot of work to do before being ready to go to the Olympics. Each of us needed to dedicate ourselves to practicing our parts and sacrifice our time in order to be part of the group. 

The most important thing to remember in music is teamwork. In order for an ensemble to be excellent, everyone needs to sound good. If one section or person does not have his part prepared, then the overall sound will not be good. Every section must fit together in order for the whole song to sound good.

Being able to play music at this level is definitely something I can be proud of. Even though a lot of effort and determination needs to be put in, it pays off in the end. Not very many musicians will be able to say they played at the Olympic Games.

* Keep up-to-date with all CHS Wind Symphony updates along with Cerritos-Artesia news and events by “liking” us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

- - - 

Donor and Sponsorship Opportunities to Support the CHS Wind Symphony Still Available

Community members and local businesses are encouraged to donate funds toward this historic trip. Donor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Fundraising Coordinator Leslie J. Machado at (562) 577-1802 or via email at lesliejmachado@gmail.com.