It’s a rewarding experience when students come in contact with someone working in a field they are interested in, either as a career or a hobby. So it was a delight when the Upper School Orchestra welcomed guest composer Soon Hee Newbold for a virtual visit.
Newbold is one of the most celebrated living composers of educational orchestra music, and students were thrilled to spend time with her. To prepare for the visit, students learned two pieces of music: Lion City and Invicta, featuring a violin solo by Emma Shao ’23. During the visit, they performed the pieces, and Newbold coached the musicians on the nuances of the pieces, gave feedback on their playing and tempo, and provided tips for soloists and those playing specific instruments.
Newbold began studying piano at age five and violin at age seven, winning prestigious competitions and performing as a concert artist at an early age. As a soloist and in professional orchestras worldwide, Newbold appeared in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Disney World. As a multifaceted artist, she works in film, television, and commercial projects as a producer, actress, composer, and musician. Newbold is also a proficient martial artist and a police officer.
After the performance, JK-12 Arts Department Chair and Orchestra Director Dr. Jo Nardolillo facilitated a Q&A session with Newbold. Students asked questions about what inspires her, how she manages other interests, her composing process, her favorite music, and many questions about specific instrument parts in each piece.
For Lion City, a tone piece about Singapore (and Newbold’s favorite), she tapped into inspiration from Stravinsky’s Firebird to create harmonics, including parts for upper and lower strings and pizzicato parts to represent the Chinese violin. “In composing this piece, I wanted to showcase the unique culture of Singapore. I learned in my research that a Sumatran prince discovered the island of Singapore and thought he saw a lion, thus the nickname Lion City. Singapore is a city, a country, and an island. It’s one of the most prosperous countries as it went from being a third-world country to a powerful city of trade and success. In their main harbor is a statue of a merlion which is a lion with a fishtail. It’s a vibrant city with theme parks, zoos, and unique laws, and I wanted to capture that through music,” she said.
There is a part in Lion City that includes stomping and knee-slapping. When a student asked why Newbold added those elements, she shared, “A painter likes to paint with many different colors, and each instrument group in an orchestra is one color. So I presented a different color to add percussion and groove, which is culturally prevalent in the music of Singapore. There’s even a part for a rain stick as it rains a lot there.”
The piece Invicta was born out of the pandemic. Newbold shared, “The pandemic was an unknown and stressful event, and the title of the piece means undefeated or unconquered and is inspired by the natural spirit that we’re all still here and thriving. As a violist, some of my favorite pieces have unique techniques I wanted to utilize for Invicta. I also wanted a piece that has a variety of difficulty levels, is fun to play and listen to, and is accessible for large or small orchestras and broader audiences.”
Other student questions centered around two main ideas: composing and balancing different interests.
How does she compose a piece?
Newbold gains personal satisfaction from storytelling. She uses historical events, stories, and other music to compose a vision in her head and then writes for the emotions associated with the visual. She said, “I start with an idea, then sketch the structure of a piece, find the harmonies, then break down the individual parts. Sometimes the melody comes first, and sometimes the harmony. Titling the piece can be challenging as you want it to be powerful, uncomplicated, and something other people aren’t using.” She shared that it takes approximately two to six weeks to compose a piece, but some have taken as short as a day or as long as a year!
How does she balance her other interests?
As an actor and martial artist, Newbold advises finding the sweet spot. She said, “Don’t stretch yourself too thin, but people can do more than they think. Be efficient with your time and rotate your wheel of priorities based on the day or project.” She also shared the view that one interest can support the other. She said, “Music helped me with acting more than the other way around. I’m a storyteller, so when I’m acting, I take on a character and tell a story. And, my years of musical performance and playing to an audience helped with acting.”
Director of Global Learning & Upper School Community Service and Strings Instructor Erin Hamill thoroughly enjoyed the visit and commented on the composition of Lion City. “I notice how she wrote important parts for all instruments, including often overlooked instruments. We are so grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her and play her pieces,” she said.
Students remarked on this unique visit. Yash Malhotra ’25 loved the opportunity after learning the pieces. “I like seeing her thought process when writing and how she envisions a piece. It helps us get a better understanding of how we should play it. It was really cool,” he said. Hannah Morey ’23 appreciated meeting the artist. She said, “We worked for so long on the pieces and dedicated so much time to learning the material. It was validating and inspiring to know that the person you’ve been studying is such an inspiration themselves.”
Dr. Nardolillo summed up the visit well. “Ms. Newbold has dedicated her life to lighting the flame of passion for music in young people. I’m so grateful for the amazing tools she has given our students,” she said.
Thank you, Ms. Newbold, for spending time orchestrating a love for music with our students!
The Upper School Orchestra will perform both of Newbold’s works at the MICDS Orchestra Spring Concert on May 2.