My name is Peyton Crony.

I play the viola.

And I'm playing Hoffmeister, Etude Number 6.

The viola gets a lot of flack from other instruments.

What drew you to the viola in the first place?

So, I knew I wanted to play a string instrument, I didn't really have a preference.

And then in third grade the teacher played something on the violin, viola, cello and double bass.

And they played a Harry Potter exerpt on the viola and I was like, oh my gosh, that's so cool.

So we had to raise our hands, who wants to play violin?

And everyone's hand shot up and I'm like, seriously?

And so I wanted to play the viola because that just sounded cool, it was Harry Potter.

So I put my hand up, was like, no one else wants to play the viola?

What is wrong with you guys?

I was completely shocked that no one else wanted to play the instrument.

I see as you're playing that you smile a lot.

You have a very expressive face.

It's just so fun.

I don't know how better to say it.

It's a very energetic piece, and it starts very operatic, and it definitely has that quality throughout the whole thing.

It's like you're kind of singing opera and parts that are very melancholy and you're like, oh my gosh, like, something happened.

And then it just picks up and you know, it's very light and bouncy.

And yeah, it just always brings a smile to my face.

So it sounds like you have a kind of story in mind.

Is that part of your process while you're practicing to figure out what story you're telling?

Yeah, yeah, I have a lot of imagery for things.

So for this particular piece, I feel like I'm onstage, you know, in a very elaborate dress, just singing my heart out.

It's fun to just have that creative element added to it so you're not just playing the notes, you're, like, telling a story, kind of.

So I've been interested sign language for a while.

I just thought it was a great way to communicate with people, and that was like my COVID project.

I would love to figure out a way to interpret classical music into sign language.

And just like incorporate another sensual element into the music.

I think that would be really powerful in spreading classical music forward.

I love the challenge of music and just growing as a person, as an instrumentalist.

The challenge is kind of what keeps me going.

It's a very individualized process.

And as you learn more about music and stuff, you also are learning more about yourself.