Rohan Carlzon: October Student of the Month

Rohan Carlzon is our Student of the Month for October. He is ten, he studies piano with Dr. Chelsea at our Sunnyvale location, and he has been with us for about two and a half years.

We sat him down with a few questions.

Student of the Month Questionnaire – Rohan Carlzon

How long have you been taking piano lessons?

“About two and a half years.”

What is your favorite thing about playing piano?

“Some songs sound harder than they are, and it’s always nice to play cool music.”

What piece are you looking forward to learning someday?

“Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven.”

What advice would you give a piano student just starting out at CCM?

“Practice more than I did.”

Do you play any sports, or do anything else outside music?

“I skateboard, rock climb, and I play chess. I also like video games and to play D&D.”

Do you have a pet?

“I have… the one guppy that survived… THE FISH PLAGUE.”

What is your favorite food?

“SUSHI.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I want to be an astrophysicist or a computer scientist.”

Parent Spotlight – Imane Chraibi Carlzon

We also asked Rohan’s mother about the last two and a half years.

What are you most proud of Rohan accomplishing?

“Seeing him enjoy decoding music, and get into creating melodies.”

Why did you decide to give your child a musical upbringing?

“Music is so central in our family life yet none of us is a musician. I now regret giving up on piano after struggling with decoding music, and I want him to have this skill that can bring him joy anytime in life.”

What advice would you give a new parent starting in the program?

“There are weeks with a lot of practice, and weeks with less, and it’s fine. Our mantra is to just keep showing up to class week after week. It is also worth discussing with the teacher what kind of music your child is into, or let them explore composition if that’s what they are curious about. That flexibility went a long way for Rohan.”

Congratulations, Rohan

Two and a half years in, writing his own melodies, with the Moonlight Sonata somewhere ahead of him. That is a very good place to be at ten.

Congratulations from all of us at The California Conservatory of Music, and our thanks to Dr. Chelsea.

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