Sound of Success

It all started in sixth grade.

Time to sign up for electives.

First choice: band.

What instrument? Trumpet of course.

Getting more into music and thinking it would be fun and interesting made band an easy choice for Palo Verde senior Johnathan Feuerstein.

Seeing his idol, otherwise known as cousin, Christopher Feather play the trumpet inspired him to share his cousin's passion and learn to play.

Feuerstein moved to Las Vegas in the middle of his freshman year of high school. Band gave him a way to make things easier.

"I met a lot of my friends. It was easy to just play music with them. It's not like speaking a new language (everyone just understands)."

Michelle Brown, Feuerstein's school counselor, speaks highly of the student, who not only studies hard but participates in marching band, jazz band and winds ensemble.

"He's remarkable," she says. "He takes the most challenging classes and still has time to be an expert musician."

His day begins at 6 a.m. when he wakes up, showers, eats breakfast if there's time. Then it's off to school, starting with band, then advanced placement government, advanced placement calculus BC, jazz band and advanced placement chemistry. After a small break for lunch, he heads to English literature.

Feuerstein's day isn't over, though, after that last bell rings. Once classes are ended, he goes to help in the band room or to a National Honor Society or Crafts For Kids meeting. Then it's home for four to five hours of homework, a half-hour to hour of trumpet practice, until finally he can relax.

Feuerstein says he wants to be the best player he can be and gets straight A's so he can better his future. To help him achieve his goal, Feuerstein takes private lessons every Sunday with a professional trumpet player, Larry Ransom.

"I work smarter not harder," Ransom says. "First we break down the fundamentals and expand from there, putting in quality time."

Feuerstein says he has great aspirations.

"I want to go to college to become an electrical engineer as well as be a professional jazz musician," he says. "My dream college is to go to University of Michigan."

Feuerstein so far has been accepted at UNLV, Purdue University, University of Washington and University of Michigan.

"He will be successful at whatever he chooses to," says Cara Froelich, Feuerstein's band teacher. "He has passion for music so I see him doing something with it."