Luke Henderson ’21 has participated in Julliard’s pre-college music program for violin.
With his fiddle pressed tightly to his chin, Luke Henderson ’21, only eight years old at the time, ran his bow swiftly across the strings of his instrument on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House, a famed country music venue in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to his classical training, Henderson’s exposure to bluegrass and fiddle music has largely molded his experience with the violin.
“A big experience that really helped me develop and got me out of my comfort zone was one of these [bluegrass and fiddle] groups I was a part of. They had a performance at a very famous country music hall down in Tennessee and going out there, being eight years old and fiddling on stage in front of all those people was so much fun,” said Henderson.
Henderson’s journey with the violin began at age three. He cites his older brother as one of his main inspirations in his musical journey.
“Seeing how much joy playing the violin brought my brother, even when he was playing on his own or when he was playing in church on Sunday, and to see the joy that it brought other people, even if he didn’t play well, just going out there and giving it everything he had was just inspiring for me,” said Henderson.
Despite his long history with the instrument, Henderson decided to pursue the violin exclusively only three years ago. After attending a summer music program in upstate New York, he auditioned for the pre-college music program at Julliard and was accepted.
Cameron Kang ’21, a friend of Henderson’s, said, “Luke is different from the other violinists I’ve seen, because you can really make out that he’s putting emotion into his performance and genuinely enjoying performing for his audience too.”
Henderson says he believes that music is a universal language with the power to bring people from all walks of life together. This factor of communication and connection motivates him to further his pursuit of music.
Henderson said, “Something I found coming here where everyone comes from so many different places is that the one thing that’s universally unifying is music. You can sit down with someone that lives halfway across the world, who doesn’t speak your language and comes from a completely different background, but when you find a song or a piece of music that you mutually like, that connection is formed instantly.”
A violinist from North Carolina, Luke Henderson ’21 is classically trained with some experience in bluegrass country music.
Since coming to Andover, Henderson has branched out beyond classical factions of music and is an avid participant in the Handbell Choir. According to Henderson, he especially looks forward to meeting and practicing with his chamber music group three times a week.
“It’s been a good experience for me because if you spend so much time practicing it’s hard to be social and these groups are wonderful, indispensable ways to meet people and form a bond through music,” Henderson said.
Henderson says he finds that music schools are smaller in size and underdeveloped compared to the music department at Andover. To further supplement the development of his musical skills, Henderson attends music classes and orchestra rehearsals at the New England Conservatory of Music every Friday and Saturday.
“The music department at Andover has got immense resources, and is selectively focused. They’re really committed to ensuring that you have fun and, at the same time focusing on how to make you the best musician and give you as many experiences as possible,” said Henderson.
With music as a social glue, Henderson finds practicing and performing as a group to be the most rewarding experience as a violinist.
“My dream would not be to be a solo musician, it would be to play chamber music or be in an orchestra, because that I like that kind of collaboration and working in a group. I kind of like the more intimate setting of a chamber group because it’s a lot easier to unify your music and that would be my dream,” said Henderson.
