On August 10, 1994, a star was born. His name was Andrew Ferris, son of Tim and Pam. From an early age, he tended to lean towards all things musical. In fact, Andrew has been taking piano lessons since he was in kindergarten. In addition, he learned to play trumpet in fifth grade and added French horn to his repertoire in ninth. Currently, Andrew is first chair French horn in Wind Ensemble and is close to finishing his third year as a squad leader in marching band. When asked which of these instruments is his favorite, Andrew replied, “Piano because the variety of music that can be played is great: it can be played alone, with an ensemble, or as accompaniment.” (As a fellow pianist in jazz band with him, I would have to agree.) His favorite genre of music to play is recognizable songs, most of which are themes from movies. Andrew has spent twelve years in the Piano Guild program and completed a challenging diploma program that involves memorizing various songs. Furthermore, Mrs. Lichtler presented him with the Chopin Award. Not only is Andrew an extraordinary typical sheet-music playing musician, but he also has an incredible knack of playing by ear. By this, I mean he can sit down and play songs on piano that he has only played a few times before from complete memory. Similarly, Andrew can pull chords seemingly out of the air and improvise a synchronized melody, with his intuitive understanding of music theory. Oftentimes, he’ll fool around and match another person’s melody with perfectly corresponding chords.
When looking back at his musical progression, Andrew reflects, “I would not say that I was a good musician until I gained confidence, which came around sophomore year. During that same period in time, I reached a point where I really understood music, and what made it sound the way it does. With that understanding of music, my skill greatly increased. I used to think that harder, more complicated music was better. But I now find the simple music to be the best. Sometimes people are so concerned with the technical skill required to play a song that they forget that music is supposed to be a joy to play and to listen to.” Other band experiences of his include Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, church praise team, junior fair band, and honor band.
Mrs. Lichtler, Andrew’s band teacher at CHS, says Andrew has impacted CHS with, “his leadership in marching band and the musical piece [“Adventure at Sea”] he composed that we played in Severance Hall.” She describes many of his pieces as programmatic-music that tells a story or conjures up certain images.
Mr. Lichtler, Andrew’s jazz band conductor, describes one of his compositions as, “very, catchy, lively, and Latinish. It was well received by his fellow students.” Andrew has composed too many songs to keep track, some of which do not have names. One of them was the number one song on the music website “Noteflight.com” for a number of months. The time that it takes him to compose depends on the type of song. “Simple short songs take less than a day. More complicated orchestral songs can take weeks,” explains Andrew. Interestingly enough, his composing career began with the passing of his pet turtle, whom Andrew wrote a song of remembrance for.
Although he takes his music seriously, Andrew is known for his humorous side as well. One example is when he randomly brings in his pennywhistle to school and plays “My Heart Will Go On” (theme from Titanic movie), as Mrs. Rohr says, “at the drop of a hat.”
Andrew has also taken on advanced courses, as he is in AP chemistry, AP physics, and multivariable calculus. He declares chemistry as his favorite subject because, “It brings an understanding of things to the molecular level.”
Mrs. Rohr, his chemistry teacher, describes Andrew as, “upbeat-always cheerful and smiling,” and adds, “he demonstrates great personal integrity, despite his penchant for practical jokes. Andrew is one of my best students, who is always wondering and thinking about material in an unconventional way. I chose him for Chem Olympiad and Envirothon due to his intelligence and ability.”
Andrew’s good friend that he has known since kindergarten, senior Jessica Parker says, “I find his strong faith, work ethic, and funny personality admirable. Andrew is always able to make someone smile or laugh.”
Likewise, sophomore Brian Ferris (brother of Andrew) adds, “He stands out because of the way he incorporates his joy in the smallest things into music.”
Andrew says he is inspired “by God, who has literally given me everything” and “my parents and grandparents, who taught me to be a hard worker.” He goes on to explain, “The Bible contains all of the values that I try to live by. It can be summed up with this: Love God the most. If you truly live by that, then “Love others above yourself” naturally follows. Those are the two greatest commandments.”
In his spare time, Andrew enjoys fishing of all sorts, climbing trees, and making boomerangs. He currently takes part in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Envirothon, and the Freshmen Mentoring Program. Andrew has also participated in Pit Band for The Sound of Music and as a cast member in Spy School and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Andrew has plans to attend Grove CityCollege and is interested in the math or science fields. He also would like to continue marching band, piano, and composing in college. His advice to underclassmen is, “Don’t be too quick to conform to what everybody else does. Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it and right is right, even if no one does it. Look for what is meaningful; not what is self-pleasing.” Andrew would like people at CHS to remember him as “loving, selfless, and able to think.”
I have known Andrew for three years and I can personally affirm all of the aforementioned talents and qualities of this talented young whippersnapper. He is truly humble and never thinks twice about giving someone a hand. Andrew has been a wonderful piano buddy, with his patience, quirky antics, and extensive knowledge of music. I wish Andrew the best as he begins a new chapter of his life as he goes off to college, spreading his joy in life and music.