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Menlo Park students Daniel and David Herbrich won top honors at the “Youth Makes Music,” competition in Germany, according to a press release. The two young violinists, who attend Encinal Elementary in Atherton, each scored first place in the prestigious event.
Eleven-year-old Daniel and 8-year-old David are following in the footsteps of their mother, Melina Gehring’s. From the ages of 11 to 19, Gehring herself competed in the same music competition. Twenty-five years later, she returned to the stage as her sons’ piano accompanist.
Competing against thousands of young musicians, Daniel scored 23 out of 25 points, allowing him to advance to the state round. David earned a perfect score of 25 out of 25 points but was too young to be eligible for the next round.
“Sometimes I can express myself better with music than with words. I love
how the sound resonates through my body,” said Daniel, who has been playing the violin for five years.
The two brothers faced a panel of three judges while performing a 10-minute piece they prepared for the competition with the help of Katie House, a teacher based in Sunnyvale who is trained in the Suzuki method.
Suzuki teachers utilize a teaching style created by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki, which embraces the idea that anyone can learn an instrument through an immersive environment and parental involvement.
Gehring has been learning to play the violin with her children, which makes their practice sessions more engaging and enjoyable. “We work on the same repertoire and tackle the same technical challenges,” she said in a prepared statement. “It helps me be a better coach for them — or, in Suzuki terms, a better ‘practice parent.’”
Now that the Herbrich brothers have put their first competition behind them, they are now focusing on performing on other stages. Daniel is preparing to play Prince Hans in Encinal Elementary’s production of “Frozen” while also playing for the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. David had played the role of Scar in the school’s production of “The Lion King” the weekend before leaving for Germany. He continues to hum the tunes from the musical.
Despite David’s success in advancing to the state round, he and his mother will not be returning to Germany in April due to school, work and other commitments, according to the family.
