Bourgoin: High school student, pianist

"I was coming home from school, heard piano on the radio and said, 'Mom, I want to play like that,'" recalled senior Andrew Bourgoin.

For those who do not know, Bourgoin is an excellent musician with an impressive performance record. While he has played piano since the age of 7, over the years, Bourgoin has found interest in more than just the ivories.

Aside from playing for various vocalists and musicians as well as accompanying most Conway choir performances, Bourgoin enjoys other types of musical involvement. At Dixie Band Camp in the summer of 2007, he served as head captain. He also plays for the Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestra.

In addition, Bourgoin sings in both the Conway High School Concert and Chamber choirs. He was recently named first chair in all-state choir and served as head drum major of the Conway High School marching band during the 2007 football season. Despite all of his achievements at such a young age, Bourgoin has managed to maintain a sense of clarity.

"I just see myself as Andrew," Bourgoin said.

He is quite focused and seems to have an excellent grasp of his future. After high school, Bourgoin said he plans to go to college to obtain an undergraduate degree in piano. From there, he said he hopes to attend graduate school to work in accompaniment and orchestral studies.

While he is often buried under a stack of sheet music, Bourgoin said he does pay attention to things other than the compositions before him.

"I'm interested in the news and what's happening in the world," he said.

In fact, this is his only other professional interest.

"If, for some reason, I didn't pursue music," he said, "I would go into the news or media."

In spite of his hectic school and performance schedules, Bourgoin still finds time for himself, his family and a social life.

He commented, "To me and my family, I'm Andrew. I'm busy, but I love it."

(Jenni Claflin is a senior at Conway High School and the entertainment editor for the Wampus Cat newspaper.)