Wesley Thompson

Years in AYPO: 6 years, including time in SE, CO, SO and AYP

Instrument: Double Bass

Current Occupation: Middle School Orchestra Director, Music Camp Director, Private Double Bass Instructor

Current City of Residence: Baltimore, MD

Current Musical Involvement: Public and private music instructor, youth orchestra conductor, music camp and concert series administrator

Favorite Piece to Perform: Anything from the Baroque era!  My favorites include Bach and Corelli.

Is there a specific memory or experience that impacted your decision to pursue a music career? Yes!  While, I enjoyed music as part of my in-school education, it was my out of school music activities that really made an impact on me and made me realize I wanted a career in music.  I was encouraged to join AYP by my elementary school teacher because I was always looking for an extra challenge. I was inspired by my peers who shared a passion for music and I was always in awe of what we were able to accomplish.  I believe this camaraderie helped influence my decision to attend a conservatory. My favorite memory from performing with AYP was when we performed the West Side Story Suite.  To this day, it remains one of the performances I am music proud of.

Any advice for young musicians interested in pursuing a music career? The best advice I would give is to always be open-minded and flexible.  Try a little bit of everything.  Don't limit yourself to one genre, ensemble or even one instrument!  The successful musicians I know are the ones who are versatile, take every opportunity and learn from every experience.