Sophomore Preston Smith plays a variety of instruments including the viola, piano, violin, cello, bass, and alto saxophone for the school’s marching band.

Preston began playing the viola in third grade, and just learned the saxophone last summer.

Inside of school, he is involved in symphonic orchestra and marching band, and he was also a part of the pit orchestra for last year’s musical, West Side Story. Outside of school, he is a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.

Smith hopes to go onto college for a major in music performance, and he said, “My ideal future would be to be able to perform music for movies or Broadway musicals.”

Preston gets his inspiration from musical figures such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ludwig van Beethoven, about whom he said, “His music is some of the most difficult, yet rewarding music to play.”

He was recently featured in The Almanac for his accomplishment of making Honors Orchestra.

If you are a serious musician and would like to be featured as “Musician of the Week,” email [email protected] for more information.