It was a proud day recently for Mike and Lori Duff, parents of 15-year-old Jacob Duff, of Loganville, Ga. who just secured a prestigious spot in the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra.
“There is nothing more rewarding as a parent than seeing your child work so hard to achieve a goal and then make it. The kind of dedication and talent that he has can’t be taught,” said Lori Duff. “I can’t wait to sit in the audience in Symphony Hall in Atlanta and see him perform.”
Jacob, a Loganville High School rising sophomore, is an oboe player. He had to audition for the seat in the orchestra.
“Jacob had to play seven short excerpts from music they are planning on playing this season and movement one and two of händel’s first oboe sonata,” his mother said. Jacob is hoping this is the beginning of more good things to come.
“I am so honored and grateful for this opportunity to further myself along my musical career. Music is a very competitive world, filled with failed auditions. I am very lucky not only to get in at a younger age (as the orchestra is mostly filled with upperclassmen), but to do it in such an amazing ensemble,” Jacob said. “I hope my oboe playing skills take me far, and I hope this is the start of something bigger.”
But his “start” actually began a little while ago. Jacob was one of two LHS band members selected for the All-state Band to play in March this year in Athens and last year, he was one of three Loganville High School students selected to play with the exclusive Athens Youth Symphony for the 2016/2017. This was the second year he had been chosen to perform with the Athens Youth Symphony.
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