Student Spotlight: Katie Weber Bleeds Music

When pricked on the finger most teens ooze blood. But Jamesville-DeWitt High School senior Katie Weber will probably start bleeding music. If you peeled back her skin, she is probably insulated with music sheets.

Since it's Weber's last year of high school, she is getting as involved as she can. The list goes on and on of activities that she participates in, most of which fall into the categories of music and art.

Weber is the senior conductor in the J-DHS band, participates in the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra, helps lead kids with singing at her church, is in In Achord, brass ensemble, jazz ensemble and is an officer of drama club. "She is so multitalented," says J-DHS band teacher, Ron Nuzzo. "She does it all. It is such a pleasure to work with her."

Despite such a long list of activities, Weber is not over-worked. "I know how to handle everything that I have to do and I commit to all of it so that it doesn't become too overwhelming."

Even though Weber gets home from school anywhere between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., she still manages each day to work on her singing voice for about an hour and then practices French horn for 30 minutes. Then: homework. She has much to do but stays organized and consistent to tackle it all. "It's all about making it work," says Weber.

"I have had this heavy load on me since I was a little kid," says Weber. "I'm kind of used to it by now. Every year I just keep adding more to my schedule and learn how to adjust and pull from different activities."

This year, Weber tried to make her academic schedule not as overwhelming as it has been in the past because the extra stresses added on to senior year. Until this year Weber had an honors-packed schedule. She was in honors classes for English, science and Spanish. She excelled at AP World, AP U.S History and AP English Language and Composition, receiving a four on each of these AP exams.

But this year, in order to be more eligible for the specific colleges that she wishes to go to, Weber's schedule consists of Corporate Communications, Pre-Calculus, Economics, Select Choir, Band and AP Music Theory. Weber has is applying to five schools, though she sees two as just back-ups.

Her top three schools are Julliard, in New York City; Curtis, in Philadelphia; and Eastmen, in Rochester. Syracuse University and Ithaca College are her two back-up schools. Julliard, Curtis and Eastmen all have acceptance rates of fewer than 7 percent. All three of these colleges ask for extra requirements on top of the regular application necessities: an audition recording, a separate essay and an additional application about music experience.

Weber would be astonished if she got into all three. "It would be a dream come true," says Weber. But there is one clear top choice for Weber, and that's Julliard. "I don't really have a reason as to why I would choose Julliard besides the fact that it's Julliard." Weber's respect for the school is evident when she says the name.

In Achord is one of the things that may help Weber get into one of the colleges of her dreams. Weber says In Achord has helped her grow a lot as a performer over the years. She says the group ends up spending all their time with each other, so much that they all consider themselves a family, the kind that goes to New York City and make shirts and bracelets together. She says that there is nothing like a show choir, it's very unique; "I love, love, love In Achord!" she says.

Weber thrives for the marvelous feeling of singing and the irreplaceable feeling of performing. It's what she loves, what she enjoys and what, apparently, she bleeds.