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30 hours a week of practice, usually starting at 7 a.m., keeps Newton pianist A-sharp By
Angela Johnson
Benjamin Salisbury's CD collection isn't like those belonging to a lot of other Utah State freshmen. The 19-year-old has mostly Beethoven, Chopin, Bach and Rachmaninoff, although Salisbury says he likes all kinds of music. "When I'm farming on the tractor, I listen to country," Salisbury said. However at 7 p.m. Monday in the Kent Concert Hall, he will focus on classical music, as he will be performing the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. Salisbury says people will be amazed by the piano concerto that will be part of the finale at the performance, especially the third movement. Even after playing and practicing the piece so many times, he is still awed by it. "I almost want to laugh out loud, it makes me so happy, " said Salisbury. He got started in music in the second grade. In the Salisbury family, starting the second grade meant you had to start piano lessons. Being the third of four children, he did what any 7-year-old would do‹he started piano lessons. It was the start he needed to be the youngest among the eight performers chosen from more than 45 USU students who auditioned for Monday's Concerto Concert. Unlike his siblings, Salisbury took to the piano. His lessons began with "good ol' Suzy down the street," the Newton piano teacher. Salisbury knew he had talent when only after six months of lessons from Suzy he was playing a duet with his father‹the same duet that his father could play after four years of studying piano. "I was very aware of the potential I had, " he said. He said he then had to make a conscious decision to pursue to focus on music. He took lessons from Suzy for a couple of years, before she sent him to another teacher. He went through three teachers in the next couple of years. He has always been able to play by ear. What his many teachers were able to teach him were improvisational skills. Those are skills you have to know to actually understand the science behind the music. It's how it all works‹it's more than just tones and sounds, it's how and why they go together. Salisbury's greatest and biggest musical influence is Kelly Anderson, whom he and many others call his "older brother." Anderson has similar mannerisms and playing styles as Salisbury; and they even look alike. Salisbury sees his "brother" almost every day. They talk about the normal stuff that old, good friends talk about; plus they help each other with problems they are having with their music. Their music, meaning music they're composing. Salisbury says Anderson, who graduated from USU a couple of years ago, is always there to give him advice. He eagerly takes it because of the respect he has for Anderson, with his additional couple of years of musical experience. Salisbury doesn't see himself as a concert pianist forever. He wants to be a composer, particularly composing scores for films. Or possibly he would like to be a conductor‹maybe both, he said. He will take a break from school and possibly the piano while he spends two years in Puebla, Mexico, as a religious service volunteer. Some of Salisbury's family and friends wonder how he will survive if he doesn't get to play his passion for two years. "I'm not worried," he said. If he can play the piano during that time, great. If not, then that's OK too, he said. He'll come back to finish his bachelor's at USU in concert piano or piano pedagogy. He would like to continue with a master's or possibly a doctorate in composing, ideally at Julliard or Eastman School of Music. There are other good music schools, he said. He still has time to plan his future; he's just trying to focus on his plans for the next couple of years and get through his second semester. Salisbury's busy enough with his 15 credit hours, taking four hours a week to teach his eight piano students, being a music teaching assistant and being the assistant musical director of the Sunburst Singers‹not to mention setting aside the minimum of 30 hours a week that he likes to practice. This means he spends sometimes more than 53 hours a week at school. That's more than a full-time job, with no overtime. "I like to be practicing by 7 if I can, " Salisbury said. That's 7 a.m. At that hour, Salisbury is already at school to practice after a 30-minute drive from his home in Newton. Awake and ready to play. Ready to exercise his fingers over the black and white keys. With so much practicing and devotion it's not surprising to Gary Amano, Salisbury's professor, that Salisbury was chosen for the upcoming performance. "He's very outstanding, Amano said. "I'd be very surprised if Ben doesn't go onto a career in music because he has so much talent." With all the time he devotes to this lifestyle of music, there isn't time left over to spend on a part-time job or to help a lot of with duties around his dad's farm. Being Utah's Music Sterling Scholar last year and having a four-year academic scholarship helps with the burden of how he's going to pay for tuition. That's something Salisbury is glad he doesn't have to worry about right now. He has had times, especially in high school, where it was hard to focus completely on music. He was drawn to a number of things, such as track and other clubs. "I don't see other paths as being rewarding as music is," he said. Amano also sees how Salisbury has many other interests and talents besides music. Amano urges him, like many of his other students, to focus in just one area rather than getting pulled in a lot of directions. Amano says music demands focus and concentration if a student really wants to be good at it. Talent has never been a problem for Salisbury. He has "big talent, he's always stood out," Amano said.
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