Teens of L.A.: AmaSING

Headshot of Wong//Sarah Wong

Two-year-old Sarah Wong stands with tears streaming down her face when she realizes that she is the only one singing at the Music Together event for children and parents. But don’t worry, now that Wong’s 17, she plays the piano, sings in concerts, and even performs as a soloist.

The very first thing Wong said regarding this passion was “I love to sing.” But her love for singing also reaches out to other personal experiences. Through it, she’s met Maestro John Williams, Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, Maestra Susanna Malkki, and Maestro Placido Domingo, all whom she states as her idols, performed at some of the greatest venues in the world, and has traveled to Germany, Japan and England.

Of course, singing isn’t just high notes and hyped-up performances. One of the biggest hardships Wong had ever faced was something only she could overcome– insecurity.

“There were times when I convinced myself that I wasn’t good enough to audition for a solo or for a position in an ensemble,” Wong said.

But once she decided that music was essential to her; Wong was able to put the insecurity behind her and focus on improving her musicality and herself. In doing so, Wong has built up her time management, preparedness, and communication skills. But more importantly, Wong has gained the privilege of encountering different worldviews and drawing from them in order to craft her own.

In addition, because music has exposed Wong to many different perspectives, she has learned to respect others for their own life experiences. Wong’s best friend, junior Hilary Luong, who has been with Wong for approximately seven years, said, “[Wong] has got such great perspective, such an open mind, and she’s much more aware of word happenings compared to regular high school.”

Being able to learn from once-in-a-lifetime experiences while enjoying them with her close friends and relating with new ideas and people, Wong hopes to continue better for art and herself. With years ahead for her to improve, Wong “[wants] to give music [her] all and grow into a stronger musician”.