Interview with Senior Andrew Lin

Senior Andrew Lin was one of four students from Irvington to make it into the All-State Honor Band. Andrew has been playing the flute for about eight years now and has been taking private lessons since he started. “My first teacher was Lu Chang for maybe one or two years, and then I went to Mr. Huang for about three years,” says Andrew, “but then I decided to go back to Lu Chang.”

This is not Andrew’s first major accomplishment in his flute playing career. He also made it into the El Camino Youth Symphony (ECYS) and has been participating in it for a couple of years now. Last year, Andrew managed to take third chair in the All-Northern Honor Band as well as first chair in Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Honor Band.

According to Andrew, one of his main sources of inspiration comes from his flutist idol and teacher, Lu Chang. Aside from Lu Chang, Andrew is also self-motivated to play flute.

“I actually like to play it, and I want to get better,” says Andrew, “and it’s satisfying when I’m finally able to master a technique or a run.” Andrew practices flute about forty-five minutes to one hour every day.

Aside from the flute, Andrew also plays many other instruments including the bass guitar and the piano. Andrew quit the piano at level six after about five years, but he is still playing his bass guitar, which he picked up about five years ago. When asked why he picked to play the flute over other instruments, Andrew recalls his first trip to C&L Music.

“I was joining band, and my mom let me pick an instrument,” Andrew replied, “and I was at the music store, and I was like, ‘Ooh I like that shiny silver one!’”

Besides playing flute, Andrew also enjoys biking, hanging out with friends and studying physics in his free time.