My name is Aidan Peterson and I’ve attended PIMF two years in a row and will continue attending for as long as I can. It’s the camp I look forward to most each summer! At PIMF I play trumpet, but I play the cello too. This year I was part of the Wind Ensemble with Michael Stanley conducting (that’s us in the picture). It was a really great experience. I’ve usually only played with an orchestra that includes strings, so this was a new challenge – and I loved it!
I knew I wanted to play the trumpet since I was three years old. I heard Chris Botti play with the Philadelphia Orchestra and I loved the sound. I started taking lessons when I turned five. I’m nine years old now and get to play with adults in the De Lasalle String Band and I’m also the youngest Taps bugler for the military. I play at funerals and memorials, representing Bugles Across America and Taps for Veterans.
For me, music is a way of life. It’s like breathing. It’s a prayer. When I’m angry or sad it makes me happy. I couldn’t imagine my life without music!
At school I often get bullied because I like music and performing, but at PIMF I feel like I’m at home. Everyone loves music as much as I do and everyone encourages each other to be their best. My favorite thing is being able to take lessons with the musicians – people who play in the Philadelphia Orchestra. I also like being able to take classes and learn about other aspects of music like conducting and composition. Even though I’m one of the youngest people in the classes, the teachers let me participate 100%.
This year I’ve had the privilege of being able to continue my PIMF lessons with a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra – it’s like camp is continuing throughout the year. I’m working really hard because next year I want to audition for the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and enter the PIMF Concerto Competition.
Honors:
-Youngest person (age 7) to play National Anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers game
-Played on stage twice with Chris Botti and had a private lesson with him
-Private lesson with Irish trumpeter Niall O’Sullivan
-Played for captain of the U.S. Coast Guard
-Played at two National cemeteries and over two dozen funerals and counting
