Elliott Sorenson

Elliott Sorenson first year participating in MAYSO and MAYWE was the 2016-17 season, playing french horn throughout, though also plays trumpet and mellophone. In January, he was a Minnesota Varsity Featured Composer for his piece Noctis Tenerbis for cello and piano. Elliott hopes to continue composing, with the possibility of going to college for Music Education or Composition.


For January, the spotlight will be on a current member of the Mankato Area Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Mankato Area Youth Ensemble: Elliott Sorenson, who is currently a junior at Waseca High School. This season was Elliott's first year in MAYSO and, of course, MAYWE. In both, he plays the french horn. Other instruments in his repertoire includes mainly trumpet and mellophone, with a little bit of violin under his belt.

Elliott has so far enjoyed his time in MAYSO, particularly "meeting new people that take time out of their weekends to do music," and he hopes to be in MAYSO next year. Like many other members before him, Elliott hasn't been in many other orchestras, but he does like the community of MAYSO: "It's very personal... Everybody know everybody." However, he is no stranger to music organizations, in general, being in two show choirs (the Sextets and the other through his school), jazz band, symphonic band, his school's band, two church choirs (adult and youth), and marching band (mellophone).

Elliott likes Dr. Rodger's humor: "He's so funny. It's fun being in orchestra with him." For Elliott, Dr. Amy K. Roisum-Foley is "goals," looking up to her as a  role model music educator, which Elliott is considering going to college for - "She's just so positive. I don't think I've ever heard anything negative come out of her, which is very motivational when you're in an ensemble."

Music plays a big part in Elliott's life, saying that he doesn't know what he'd "do without music... Noctis Tenerbis, in the span of three days ("which is fast for me."). He got inspiration from the "struggle of life."
Music is my life." His passion for music is exemplified in a recent accomplishment of his: becoming a Minnesota Varsity Featured Composer. For this competition, he composed a piece, called

You get done with the day and get to relax at night, but then you end up not relaxing. You're just thinking about your day and what could have gone better and why everything sucked. The night kind of gets to people.

Cello, piano, and trumpet were the three options for instruments for composers, and Elliott had chosen cello and piano: "Musically, I didn't see how trumpet could fit with such dark sounds. I tried to write a trio, but my ear didn't like it." So, Elliott decided to leave the trumpet out, but Elliott didn't have much experience with cello or piano. Never having written for piano before, he had asked people, such as his choir director, to "make sure it was playable. It was difficult, but at the same time, it was easy because it just flowed." When he had finished, he knew that was it: "There's nothing I could have done to make it any better."

Despite this new feeling for Elliott, he had still been nervous, not wanting to get his hopes up. Upon winning the competition, Elliott says he was "confused as to why" for about three days: "Some kid from a small town doesn't usually win stuff like that... it was just mind boggling to be accepted."

Noctis Tenerbis isn't the first piece Elliott has composed. He's been composing since the Summer of 2014 (Summer before his freshman year).

I was at a friend's house, and he did arrangements with some video game music, and I was interested. I had him show me some stuff, and I was introduced to Muse Score, which is a music notation program... So, I just went home and played with it. I started working on this project I knew we had to do for band... called Winter Composition Project. What you have to do is arrange a piece for a small ensemble... so I wrote an original for that, instead of an arrangement, and everybody liked it, so I just continued doing it.

Elliott is currently writing a piece for a Suzuki camp in New Ulm a former elementary school music teachers had introduced him to. He had written a piece for the camp before, so they asked him to do so again this year. The piece he is currently working on might be played my MAYSO, as Carolyn Borgen, MAYSO's executive director, had asked him if he had another piece the ensemble could play.

Elliott hopes to continue pursuing this passion, with the possibility of going to college for music education or composition. He originally planned to go to Wisconsin Eau Claire due to the pricing, but with winning this competition, he has won scholarships. These accomplishments have opened the door for other opportunities, allowing him to "broaden [his] range." He now plans to start his college search this Spring.

All in all, Elliott has had a great time in MAYSO: "It's been a great experience at MAYSO, and it's been inspiring." To prospective students, he suggests to "do what you're interested, no matter if someone says you're a nerd."