Child Prodigy at BHS Opens Ears to Musical Talent
By Emily Bledsoe
Ever since she was a young
child, her dream was to excel in
the one thing that she lives for.
For sophomore Alesha Johnson,
playing the violin comes as second nature.
The child prodigy has been
playing the melodic instrument
for 11 years and counting. At
age 5, a family friend played a
few notes and Johnson has been
hooked ever since.
Growing up, Johnson was
taught by a violin major at UNO
and rehearsed once a week for
roughly 45 minutes. After seven
years of hard work with this instructor, she then took lessons
at the Omaha Conservatory of
Music for two years and then a
private teacher for another two
years.
Success is motivated by inspiration, and Johnson shares who
has been her main idol growing
up.
“Lindsey Stirling definitely
inspires me to play the violin,
because she showed me violinists
aren’t confined to classical music,”
Johnson said. “If I don’t have to
play a classical piece, I’ll probably
be learning a new Lindsey Stirling
song. My teacher (Laura) is also an
inspiration, because you can tell
how much she loves to play. My
favorite song to play right now is
“If I’m preparing for
a concert or performance, I’ll practice
about eight hours a
week.”
-Alesha Johnson
Elements by Lindsey Stirling.”
Johnson has worked year after
year, and getting older shows how
it is progressively paying off. She
has performed in numerous concerts and at the Omaha Conservatory. She also recently performed
at the Pops concert and received the
best possible rating at district music
contest for a solo performance.
A typical week for such a talented
teen requires commitment and dedication along with a drive and open
mindedness to have room for improvement. Johnson practices for
eight hours per week
to strive for a perfor- Sophmore
mance or competi- Alesha
tion. If she is playJohnson
ing for fun, she will
practice for about plays her
30 minutes daily. It violin. She
is true that practice has been
makes perfect, and playing for
Johnson proves such 11 years.
a statement.
Photo subWith an unmistak- mitted.
able talent like this,
it must be lifelong.
After high school, Johnson plans
on majoring in some kind of violin
or performing arts. No matter what
occupation Alesha Johnson plans to
take on, music has inspired her to
put the most effort into everything
available. Performing with a passion is definitely in the blood of this
young artist.