MONROE - When the time came for Monroe student Maggie Setterstrom to choose her instrument before sixth grade, she didn't have any particular aspirations.
"I was trying out instruments and I didn't know which one to pick and I asked my mom which instrument she could see me doing," Setterstrom said with a laugh. "She said, 'Well, I could see you maybe playing the flute, but it's your decision, not mine.' I just went with the flute."
Setterstrom grew to love the instrument, even as she played others.
"I just like all the expression that can go through the flute through using my air," Setterstrom said. "I like the tone of it; the tone and the expression. I think the ones that are the most fun to play are the French pieces. They just have a lot of melodious, and also more difficult, technical pieces crammed into one piece. It kind of has it all."
Six years later, she has won a number of competitions and now plans to take on a dream endeavor with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as a senior at Monroe High School.
"I didn't really know what a concerto competition was until, like, last year," Setterstrom said. "I was like, 'ugh, I would love to be able to perform with an orchestra.' That would be something I would love to do before I die."
When the time came to audition, she tried once within her youth orchestra but only garnered honorable mention. A second opportunity to audition in Madison arose, but she encountered the same result. Knowing it may be her final chance before graduation, Setterstrom auditioned in Milwaukee. This time, it was a success.
"It was the latest deadline, the last one I could think of to try out for at the time," Setterstrom said. "It all kind of fell into place. The last day I could sign up for the Milwaukee application, I just sent out the application."
It almost didn't happen for Setterstrom because she didn't have an accompanist for Milwaukee, but her mother, Deb, made a connection while her daughter auditioned at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, finding someone in the Milwaukee area willing to play the piano for Setterstrom.
Deb said the family has great pride in Setterstrom's determination and they look forward to seeing her perform a solo with the accompaniment of the entire Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. April 12 in Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield.
According to the MSO website, the other two winners of the young artist auditions were David Pickar of Weston with a marimba and Monona Suzuki of Fitchburg, who plays the violin.
Setterstrom will be one of three vying for a scholarship during the Audrey G. Baird Stars of Tomorrow concert. Deb noted the show is free but generally runs out of tickets roughly two weeks before the night of the event. General admission tickets were available on the MSO website as of Thursday afternoon.
Nerves may set in when she's onstage, but Setterstrom said she hasn't experienced too much apprehension yet. Years of participating in solo and ensemble competitions have steeled her for this moment. Not only is she practicing for the Stars of Tomorrow concert, she also has to spend time perfecting flute, piccolo, piano and voice solos and an ensemble piece for the State Solo & Ensemble Festival hosted April 28 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
"I'm sure I'm going to be a little bit nervous the day of, but I'm mostly excited," Setterstrom said.
Though this concerto will be a bit different. Not just because a symphony of talented musicians will be accompanying her instead of a pianist, but also because of the memorization required. Setterstrom will have to play the eight-minute solo without music sheets in front of her as a guide. The prize on the line is also bigger; a scholarship she will likely apply to attendance at UW-Madison, the school she said she is "99 percent sure" she will attend next year to pursue a degree in music education.
"I was trying out instruments and I didn't know which one to pick and I asked my mom which instrument she could see me doing," Setterstrom said with a laugh. "She said, 'Well, I could see you maybe playing the flute, but it's your decision, not mine.' I just went with the flute."
Setterstrom grew to love the instrument, even as she played others.
"I just like all the expression that can go through the flute through using my air," Setterstrom said. "I like the tone of it; the tone and the expression. I think the ones that are the most fun to play are the French pieces. They just have a lot of melodious, and also more difficult, technical pieces crammed into one piece. It kind of has it all."
Six years later, she has won a number of competitions and now plans to take on a dream endeavor with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as a senior at Monroe High School.
"I didn't really know what a concerto competition was until, like, last year," Setterstrom said. "I was like, 'ugh, I would love to be able to perform with an orchestra.' That would be something I would love to do before I die."
When the time came to audition, she tried once within her youth orchestra but only garnered honorable mention. A second opportunity to audition in Madison arose, but she encountered the same result. Knowing it may be her final chance before graduation, Setterstrom auditioned in Milwaukee. This time, it was a success.
"It was the latest deadline, the last one I could think of to try out for at the time," Setterstrom said. "It all kind of fell into place. The last day I could sign up for the Milwaukee application, I just sent out the application."
It almost didn't happen for Setterstrom because she didn't have an accompanist for Milwaukee, but her mother, Deb, made a connection while her daughter auditioned at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, finding someone in the Milwaukee area willing to play the piano for Setterstrom.
Deb said the family has great pride in Setterstrom's determination and they look forward to seeing her perform a solo with the accompaniment of the entire Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. April 12 in Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield.
According to the MSO website, the other two winners of the young artist auditions were David Pickar of Weston with a marimba and Monona Suzuki of Fitchburg, who plays the violin.
Setterstrom will be one of three vying for a scholarship during the Audrey G. Baird Stars of Tomorrow concert. Deb noted the show is free but generally runs out of tickets roughly two weeks before the night of the event. General admission tickets were available on the MSO website as of Thursday afternoon.
Nerves may set in when she's onstage, but Setterstrom said she hasn't experienced too much apprehension yet. Years of participating in solo and ensemble competitions have steeled her for this moment. Not only is she practicing for the Stars of Tomorrow concert, she also has to spend time perfecting flute, piccolo, piano and voice solos and an ensemble piece for the State Solo & Ensemble Festival hosted April 28 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
"I'm sure I'm going to be a little bit nervous the day of, but I'm mostly excited," Setterstrom said.
Though this concerto will be a bit different. Not just because a symphony of talented musicians will be accompanying her instead of a pianist, but also because of the memorization required. Setterstrom will have to play the eight-minute solo without music sheets in front of her as a guide. The prize on the line is also bigger; a scholarship she will likely apply to attendance at UW-Madison, the school she said she is "99 percent sure" she will attend next year to pursue a degree in music education.