Bailey Shoemaker started playing the violin because she was jealous of her brother.
As a 5-year-old, she found out her brother was taking guitar lessons and decided she wanted to play something harder.
Since then, the violin has become a permanent fixture in her life and something she will always play, she said.
Shoemaker, now a senior, is the first student from Eudora High School to make the Kansas Music Educators Association district orchestra three years in a row. She participated in the event again this past weekend.
Performing in this ensemble has allowed her to prove herself as a violinist, she said.
“It means a lot because I think it goes to show like, you know, all the work I’ve done and everything I’ve practiced for 12 years now,” Shoemaker said. “I hope I make my teacher proud.”
Band director Damian Johnson said Shoemaker’s success is impressive, especially since she isn’t able to play in a school orchestra like most of the other students placed in district orchestra.
Shoemaker plays clarinet in the high school band and is also in the Kansas City Youth Symphony. She started playing clarinet in middle school when she decided she wanted to be in band since orchestra wasn’t an option, and because her brother was.
“My story for that is when I went to the tryout day, I was determined to play flute because I did not want to be like my brother and play clarinet, and behold, I chose clarinet,” she said.
Shoemaker practices violin for at least 45 minutes five or six days a week, in addition to her weekly private lesson and weekly three-hour symphony rehearsal. She also has her band and jazz classes for her first and second hour where she plays clarinet.
Playing in the KC Symphony has taught her to play in an ensemble, something she isn’t able to do on a regular basis otherwise. It’s made her a significantly better player, she said. Over the summer, Shoemaker got to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City with her symphony.
“It’s taught me responsibility, to hold myself accountable for my own play, because when we are in rehearsal, we don’t sit there and work through notes. So you have to come in there ready to play, ready to know and ready to grow as a group,” Shoemaker said.
Her mother, Dana Shoemaker, said as soon as Bailey saw a violin in a store, she couldn’t get the idea of playing out of her head.
“She saw all the beautiful violins hanging up and she decided at that moment that that is what she wanted to do, and she kept asking and asking and asking,” Dana Shoemaker said.
She initially couldn’t figure out where her daughter could take lessons since Eudora doesn’t have an orchestra, but eventually found a local contact. Dana Shoemaker thought it might be a short-lived hobby, but her daughter fell in love with it, she said.
When Shoemaker started, she didn’t really understand the concept of what she was doing. She started with the basics of open string notes and how to hold the instrument.
After a couple of years, she was able to play simple songs for recitals and church and got a better grasp on the fundamentals of finger placement, plucking and how to hold a bow all while multitasking.
Judy Erpelding has been Shoemaker’s violin teacher since the beginning. Erpelding has never seen a more dedicated student for the last 12 years, she said.
“I don’t really remember a time where I haven’t known her,” Shoemaker said.
Erpelding and Johnson both agreed that Shoemaker’s ability to be placed into the district orchestra is a testament to her hard work as a musician since she isn’t able to practice in school the way other students may be able to. Most of her time practicing is spent with Erpelding or by herself.
Johnson said although he doesn’t teach her violin, he has seen her confidence grow as a musician. She has been able to succeed with the violin even though she is primarily a band student playing clarinet a lot of the time, he said.
“It just amazes me that she was able to get into this group because those kids literally just have a violin or viola or cello or bass in their hands all the time while she plays clarinet more probably than she does the violin just because she’s in band,” Johnson said.
Her drive to practice and perfect her playing increased when she got to high school, Shoemaker said. Playing has taught her how to be thrown into new situations, focus and listen quickly.
Erpelding said joining ensembles helped Shoemaker find even more love for playing.
“When she saw the enjoyment that could come from being in a district orchestra, she also got involved in youth symphony, which I think is also a big game changer,” Erpelding said. “She played for the first seven, eight years of lessons by herself, never getting to play in an ensemble.”
She said the support from Shoemaker’s family also helped her reach success.
Shoemaker is committed to violin because of how much time she’s put into it. She worries that if the instrument became a career instead of a hobby that she might not like it as much. Shoemaker hopes to be a part of a big symphony somewhere, though.
Her continued passion was inspired a lot by her brother and his involvement in band as a child, she said. She loves music because she loves playing and new challenges that are always on the horizon.
When she listens to pop music, hearing the instrumental backgrounds has shown her an appreciation for talent and the work the songs take.
Dana Shoemaker has been around for the years of lessons and says it will be tough to part ways when her daughter graduates. Watching her daughter grow has been one of the best parts, she said.
“Even though it looked a little, you know, bleak not having an orchestra in Eudora, she still kept trying and practicing and did all the recitals that Judy had,” she said.
Erpelding watched Shoemaker grow up and is excited to see where she goes.
“I’m super proud of what she’s accomplished, and if there’s anything I’m disappointed about is that I know that there will be an end here soon to all of our lessons, which chokes me up a little bit,” Erpelding said.
Even if Shoemaker doesn’t major in music in college, Erpelding knows that playing for over a decade has taught her valuable lessons about hard work.
“I’m hopeful that if anything – what I want as a music teacher is not for my students to be professional musicians or to major in music or to teach music – I just want them to enjoy music after they’re done with this chapter,” Erpelding said.
She also hopes that Shoemaker may stay around and help her teach new violin students and help further the orchestra scene in Eudora.
Shoemaker said she would love to stay involved by teaching beginning students and doing dual lessons with Erpelding.
Erpelding has done everything for her, from teaching her music in the beginning to give her an upper hand in middle school to teaching her patience and perseverance to push through hard moments, Shoemaker said.
“Knowing that, like, I’m always going to have times where I’m not going to be the best or be where I want to be and that’s okay, because next time I’ll just try harder or whatever the next step is for me,” she said. “Judy’s literally done everything for me for music, and she always pushes me to new stuff.”
This past Saturday, Shoemaker performed with the district ensemble at Washburn Rural High School. The group prepared for the concert all day and attended clinics before their official performance.
Shoemaker will continue to practice daily as she prepares for state, solo and small ensemble orchestra seating auditions and other performances.
Although she said may not major in music in college, it will always be a part of her life, she said.
“I just love playing and everything, and I love my teachers,” she said. “I will never stop playing.”
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
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