Jacqueline Tran is a very talented cousin of mine. She comes from a family of first generation amateur musicians. She’s one of the youngest, but she’s also the only who has stuck fast to her passion. Aside from violin, she’s also known among her acquaintances for her many other talents, such as fashion designing and acting. She is currently a senior at LaGuardia High School.
Most of your acquaintances know you as a gifted person. You play the violin. You design and
make clothes. You even joined an acting class. How do you define yourself artistically?
I’m a little bit of everything. I’ve come to realize, as I explore different forms of art fashion, visual arts, photography everything’s connected, one way or another. They all convey some kind of reality that we never get to see otherwise. I can’t say that I’m only an violinist, or I’m only an actor. But I definitely think violin is a catalyst to everything I’ve done in the past three or four years. I’m a bit of everything. I think I’m a very openended, well rounded artist.
How does going to a high school like LaGuardia shape you artistically? Did that somehow
cement your passion for the artistic culture?
To tell you the truth, I came into LaGuardia thinking that I would only be a violinist. And so I thought that for a year or two. But it was because of LaGuardia that I stepped into this realm of competition that I wasn’t previously exposed to before. So I worked really hard and I realized at one point that it’s not going to cut it for me if I only just play violin, so I actually dropped violin for a while. I gave up hope. I thought, maybe I’ll try fashion, and this was partly because my friends were into fashion. Maybe I’ll take photography. Maybe I’ll try acting on the side too. LaGuardia gave me the opportunity to meet people from different artistic fields and to be exposed to competition and really get myself into the arts. LaGuardia definitely made me a better artist, and not in the general way.
So basically, your initial drive was the competition, but later it was the competition and the people around you that helped you branch out.
Y es.
Do you still think that LaGuardia has a lasting influence on you still? Does that competitive vibe still affect you somehow?
Not as much anymore. I’ve grown to be “outside” of LaGuardia. LaGuardia was my first step. Then I worked at internships for theatre companies, and then I bought a lot of film and tried photography. I play violin outside of school as well. Now that I think about it, LaGuardia looks like it could be an openended art school, but it really isn’t. That’s because it’s broken up into different divisions. Most people believe that they must stay within their own divisions. Ultimately, my initial exposure to the environment at LaGuardia is what made me who I am today.
Would you say you’re a special case or do most LaGuardia students have similar experiences?
I don’t want to say I’m a special case, but I guess I am. Not many people want to step out of their zones and try branching out into new art forms.
Is violin still an important part of your life?
It still is. I just had a moment of doubt. It was because I thought I wasn’t good enough and considered giving up. I worked so hard and got nowhere. I ignored my homework and practiced six hours a day and I still wasn’t good enough. So yes, I kind of gave up for a while. Now I’m back on my feet. Half of the schools I’m applying to are liberal art schools that have good conservatories. Violin is still a huge part of my life even if I’m branching out.
Violin takes priority over everything else? Even school?
Yes, more so than other things. But I also have experience juggling my activities since I have been playing for fourteen years. It’s because I was exposed to other art forms that I began to like violin more. I originally saw it as something I had to overcome. I saw it as something I had to be better at. Since I
played for so many years, I should be at a certain level. I should be, like people who’ve played for as long as I have, at some sort of benchmark. After I started trying other things, I learned that it’s not about winning and competition. Once you get stuck in that mindset, you just think about winning and you start to forget the core value of art.
It’s obvious you’re passionate about violin. Has it always been that way? I know that you were initiated by your parents. Half of music students in general I mean, people who were forced to learn instruments tend to give up once things get inconvenient. Remember how going to college made your sister give up on piano?
I always wanted to be different from my sister. I saw someone with a violin and just thought that I should try it. I was four. It wasn’t a passion. When I was in elementary school, no one else I knew played it. I think my passion was kindled in 7th to 8th grade.
What made it happen?
I applied to Mark Twain because it was the best middle school in Brooklyn. I played violin well; I felt I could get in because I was good enough. I was first chair for three years straight so I felt pretty good
about myself. As I got older, I realized how fun it is to be in the orchestra. But I didn’t get any competition yet. It wasn’t a passion, but it was an attachment. But after I got into LaGuardia, things changed. It was because of the huge amount of talent around me.
Do you think you’ll pursue music as a profession?
I don’t think so. I really want to, but I’m not good enough. The only thing that I could even dream of getting a shot at is joining an orchestra somewhere. I’ll try. But I don’t think it’s a very big possibility. Who knows?
