By Todd Kleiboer
Communications Specialist
SHS senior Grant Dominick rehearses with the Sherman Symphony Orchestra before Christmas POPS. By Todd Kleiboer, Communications Specialist
Grant Dominick, a senior at Sherman High School, comes from a family surrounded by music and grew up going to orchestra concerts like the recent Christmas POPS performed by the Sherman Symphony Orchestra.
“My mom was an elementary music teacher for several years before I was born, and she still sings a lot,” Dominick said, adding she taught him to sing as well. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always known I was going to play an instrument of some sort.”
However, Dominick wasn’t in the crowd this time. In the second row, third chair from the front, he took his spot to play violin alongside professional musicians in the December concert as his father and Austin College music professor, Daniel Dominick, conducted.
Individual Photo: Grant Dominick before Christmas POPS began. By Arena Blake, Director of Communications
“It’s really cool to now be a part of it after seeing it for 18 years, literally,” Dominick said. “It’s a completely different experience.”
Despite being the first chair violin for the Sherman High School Chamber Orchestra, Dominick said the symphony orchestra “is a completely different level of difficulty.”
“At school, I’m playing the first violin part which is the more difficult melody part,” he explained. “Here, I’m playing the second violin part that’s more difficult than the first violin part. If that tells you anything, this is original classical music. These are big, full-scale pieces.”
Dominick first started playing the violin in the third grade as a part of a SISD Summer Enrichment program, and his father suggested he keep practicing it.
“I’ve stuck with it, and I really enjoy it,” Dominick said.
He had planned to join the symphony last year. However, COVID-19 concerns ruined plans, and Dominick ended up joining this year and has participated in not only the December concert but the October one as well.
“One of the challenges for this one specifically was that we had less rehearsals because of Thanksgiving break,” Dominick said. “I missed most of the last one because I had a swim meet.”
“But I really love this music,” he continued. “Some of this stuff, I’ve heard them play that forever, and it’s really cool to suddenly be up there playing it.”
As a senior on the cusp of graduating, Dominick is looking into colleges with strong music and art programs, as he also loves to draw. He aims to play in an orchestra and perhaps earn a music degree.
“University of Tulsa, Oklahoma City University and Rhodes College are some of my biggest picks right now,” Dominick said.
Group Photo: Grant Dominick stands with father Daniel, who conducts and directs the Sherman Symphony Orchestra, and his mother Laura, who is a former elementary music teacher. By Arena Blake, Director of Communications
