Chelsea Fensom: Motivated by Music

This was the case with 15-year-old Chelsea Fensom, who began playing the violin at the age of seven under Kenneth Listhrop, the conductor of the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philharmonic (TTYP), of which both Chelsea and her older sister, Celeste, are members.

Celeste plays both clarinet and oboe with the orchestra.

Wanting to push young Chelsea further after she showed promise on the violin, Listhrop introduced her to the cello, where she blossomed. The cello then became her principal instrument, and she continued to hone her skills on her cello with the orchestra.

“We always wanted to have our children involved in music,” Carlos Fensom, the girls’ father told Newsday.

Carlos and his wife, Shermin, believe in the power of music and music education in helping children to “create a better balance.” “We never thought that it would have reached this level,” he admitted.

Just about to enter Form Four, Chelsea has already completed all eight grades of the Trinity College of London music examinations, in both violin and cello, earning a merit and a distinction, respectively.

In addition, Chelsea, decided to undertake the first level of the Trinity College diploma exams, the Associate of the Trinity College of London (ATCL), a highly challenging test comprising an evaluation of close to 40 minutes of pieces and a viva voce segment, along with comprehensive notes on the works performed. The high-level certification is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate music programme. Working closely with Listhrop, Chelsea earned a distinction in the exam, and the record of having been the youngest successful ATCL candidate in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Chelsea has already begun to prepare for her ATCL diploma examination in violin, as well as the Trinity second-level diploma, the Licentiate of Trinity College, London (LTCL, equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate music programme) both for next year. (There are three in total, the last being the Fellowship of Trinity College, London, which is equivalent to a postgraduate course at a conservatory.) During her primary school career, Chelsea copped a distinction in the Pan Minors Programme at UWI, where she walked away with the Best Instrumentalist in Primary School Parang Prize for her performance on the violin. At the Biennial Music Festival last year, the young musician took the prize for the Best Instrumentalist (violin) and the second place prize in the cello category.

With the increasing number of distractions for young persons in today’s complex world, threatening to steal them away from the paths that keep them safe and focussed, music has been a grounding force for the girls.

Carlos expressed his relief that music has managed to keep his daughters out of trouble.

“The discipline of the music has carried over into the other parts of their lives,” he explained. The dedicated father continued, “Most of their friends are in music; they associate themselves primarily with other musicians around their age.” Not only has the music shaped their social lives, but it has also supported their performance in school. Celeste is currently in the final year of her studies in Computing at SAM while Chelsea’s efforts at St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain continue to yield top marks. “Music has a way of stimulating the brain,” Carlos affirmed. “It has done an excellent job in terms of the way that [the girls’] schoolwork has developed.” Not content with solely playing the strings, Chelsea is also a member of both Silver Stars Steel Orchestra and her school’s Mixed Steel Orchestra – where she is the orchestra’s cocaptain – comprising players from St Joseph’s Convent and their longtime neighbour, St Mary’s College.

Clearly influenced by varied genres of music, Chelsea, when asked about her musical tastes, was quite specific in responding, “Everything but country and K-Pop (Korean pop music).” Among her favourite musicians are world-renowned cellists, Chinese-American Yo-Yo Ma, South Korean Han-Na Chang and the late English prodigy, Jacqueline du Pré.

Chelsea described her love affair with the cello as an incremental process in which, guided by her teachers, Kenneth Listhrop and Francis Pau, her passion and commitment grew over the years.

“The more it consumed me, the more I practised; the more I liked it, the more I came to love it,” she told Newsday.

With a strong determination not to limit herself, Chelsea wants still to learn more instruments; young and eager, she began learning the French horn very recently. Interested in doing more than performing, Chelsea has also developed an interest in arranging. As a senior tutor at TTYP, she may well be arranging for the orchestra in time to come.

The TTYP hosts an annual series concert to mark the end of their vacation camp, in which young Chelsea is set to take part as one of the soloists in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, along with fellow cellist, Tracell Frederick and violinist Keisha Daniel. Titled, Timeless Classics: Love Unlimited, the concert features an eclectic offering of orchestral arrangements, including a tribute to soul crooner Barry White and the Sounds of Philadelphia.

The first show was held last night at Queen’s Hall and the final show is carded for this evening at 5.30 pm.

With CSEC on the horizon, Chelsea seems undaunted still that she would be able to conquer both her music goals as well as her academic work. “During SEA, I completed graded exams; I don’t see why I should have any problems in the future,” the young musician told Newsday, confidently.

Using some of her teaching experience as a senior tutor with TTYP and at St Theresa’s RC School, she plans to open her own school for string instruments in the future. When asked what advice she might have for fellow youth musicians and music enthusiasts, Chelsea offered that the secret is in the small stuff.

“Set small goals such as learning to play a whole song in a day.” She urged young musicians to practise every day, “even if it’s just for five or ten minutes. Keep practising and working and believe in yourself,” she reassured.