Notes Newsletter Student Spotlight: Miloh Dunn

Posted on October 3, 2024

Miloh Dunn is the principle clarinetist in PYP. He is also a freshman at Portland State University pursuing a degree in Music Performance.

Did you do any summer camps?

I was fortunate to attend the Interlochen Arts Camp, studying the clarinet intensively for an entire week with other peers backed up by four professors with a great variety of skill sets to teach us. The moment I stepped onto the school’s campus, I felt… free in a way. It was refreshing, seeing the beautiful outdoors and the elaborate buildings knowing that whatever responsibilities or regrets I had in the past were left back home. The training was all that mattered. I got to meet many wonderful musicians around my age, creating a fun and truly meaningful culture that set the tone of this experience. Every single day of that week, I strived to take notes of everything each professor explained to us and watched masterclasses and mock auditions intensively to identify any learning experiences from both the student and how the professor tackled a solution. I strived to maximize my potential by cleaning my cabin space I shared with some of my peers, by getting to know each professor well, and by growing my capacity to serve others around me. Every single day of that week, I gradually became more independent, realizing that I had much more control of my life than I thought. My mindset has changed from pessimism, to a type of optimism where I didn’t exactly see things as advantages or disadvantages. This “growth mindset” was only enhanced by also attending the Wallowa Lake Woodwinds Camp, where I was able to demonstrate my musicianship by focusing on my own abilities, but primarily, it was teaching the young musicians around me what I’ve learned from Interlochen’s summer camp and the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

What is your favorite memory of PYP?

My fond memories of PYP began after the COVID-19 crises was on a decline, and PYP allowed the reauditions for in-person orchestras and ensembles again. One of my favorite memories has got to belong to my first rehearsal with the Conservatory Orchestra, which was the first time I met young musicians since the outbreak, and having the honor to have Mr. Johnson as conductor of the wonderful orchestra. The opening rehearsal began with just the woodwinds and brass instruments, and as Mr. Johnson introduced himself, the atmosphere of the room shifted. We knew it got serious: the expectation of dedication was unlike any other that many of us have experienced, and before we even got to warm up our instruments, we instead prepared with some breathing exercises as instructed by Mr. Johnson. I’ll spare the technicalities of the rehearsal, but I will say that counting numbers as beats in the music was never going to be the same or easy for all of us. The wind sectionals were over, and now we headed to our assigned music theory classes. This is where I got more familiar with these bright students around me, even if I was more introvert than some. I must thank my theory teacher, Ms. Morris, for giving us such a welcoming, warm introduction to the class and her students. The friends I made in that class now occupy the principal chairs, and maybe it was that brightness in personality which inevitable got them to where they are, but I’d like to think that our theory classes only strengthened our will to strive as better musicians and spread that same kindness. It was now time for our first rehearsal with tutti, the full orchestra. First, the wind instruments tuned to the oboe’s note for coordination, but when the strings began to tune – I’m not a religious nor cliché person at all and yet – they sounded like the gates of heaven were opening, and the orchestra sounded alive even if we were stumbling through our first sight read of our new music given to us. This was also the day that I met Harrison, a French horn player who pursues performance in music, who so happened to attend the school I was from. To this present day, we are still best friends.

What is your favorite piece of music?

My favorite piece (for the moment) is Jean Sibelius’s “6 Impromptus, Op. 5,” particularly the third Impromptu in A Minor. To me, it has constant repetition of two melodies, one with such a singing, dancing quality in the melody, followed by a different melody that’s sweet and cute, only to be interjected again by the initial dance that feels mysterious and extravagant. Why I enjoy this specific Impromptu is due to my fondness of Yiddish Klezmer music and the music of Taraf De Haïdouks (also known as the Band of Gypsies) whom I’ve been listening to my entire life. I enjoy pieces and dances that possess flare supported with rhythmic repetition and “Impromptu No. 3 in A Minor” has been a favorite of mine since a year ago.

What are your goals this year?

The goal that I strive to improve on in my musicianship is taking care of my well-being. I’m aware that I have innate talents in music but taking care of my body and especially mind must be my ultimate priority if I’m pursuing a career in music. I have always stumbled when it comes to large school projects, or problems that simply require more than a day’s work. My first step is to have organized thoughts written out on a planner, and with it, a routine that keeps me coordinated. A planner on my phone isn’t enough for me, and when I transition to a paper planner, I can think one more step at a time. To that, I have my band director of Tigard High School, James Irving to thank, who simply told me to “take small bites from a meal at a time.” Such a simple, yet elementary phrase that I keep to myself in the back of my mind as I first accomplish my goal of using a planner, and work out my problems from there, one step at a time.

What advice would you give the younger students in PYCO, PYWE, and PYSE?

My best advice for these young musicians is to not compare yourself to other people, period. The only person you can compare with is yourself, to strive for a more dedicated life for your family, friends, and values you care for. Not one individual will ever be the same as another person, and every person has a unique set of advantages and problems they must work with. Feeling like you’re not a virtuoso player like that other kid? You may not exactly get to that kid’s level of technique, but you have the choice to choose a mindset that doesn’t allow unnecessary harm to your self esteem, to grow as a musician who puts their maximum potential of their mind to the music’s emotions they want to convey in a performance.