“Havana” Great Time at the Talent Show

Alisa+Burt+during+her+winning+performance+at+the+talent+show.

| Thomas Richardson

Alisa Burt during her winning performance at the talent show.

During this year’s SPUD Week celebration, numerous students showed their skills at the talent show. The winner, sophomore Alisa Burt, sat down for an interview about her performance of an arrangement of the song “Havana” on the piano, as well as her career as a musician.

Question: Where did you learn to play the piano?

Answer: Private lessons at home, mostly, because my parents wanted me to know how to play.  I went to a studio for a while before COVID shut things down.

Q: How long have you played?

A: Nine years. I started in the first grade.

Q: When did you first want to play?

A: I started to enjoy playing when I was like… ten.

Q: What drives you to continue playing?

A: I like playing because it’s fun to play music and learn cool songs!

Q: Is music what you plan to pursue beyond high school?

A: As a hobby, not actually as a career.

Q: What made you choose “Havana” for the talent show?

A: When I was in 8th grade, I went to the SPUD closing assembly with my leadership class. A girl played piano and I thought it was cool, but didn’t think about it too much. Last year I learned “Havana” on piano and decided to play it and learned that it was a bop!

Q: What are your favorite pieces to play?

A: “Havana” and “River Flows In You”

| Thomas Richardson

Q: Do you play any other instruments?

A: I used to play violin in orchestra for a couple years. I hope Wagner doesn’t hunt me down for quitting last year…

Q: Do you listen to the kind of music you play?

A: Yes, and I usually play pop music. I’m actually learning jazz music theory right now, and I listen to that a lot.

Q: How has music impacted your life?

A: It’s a good quarantine hobby, it gave me something to do.

All in all, it was an honor to get to interview the talented young pianist! Perhaps we’ll see her perform again during SPUD Week next year?