Hannah Lee

I definitely think just having a good mindset about things is key. I think manifestation is very real - a lot of things can really come true if you believe they will. I definitely wouldn't have ever dreamed in high school that I would be at an Ivy League, or that that was possible, but I think a lot of good things can come out of just believing in yourself and pushing yourself to get to where you need to be. Having that positive mindset and truly believing in what's possible has made all the difference in my journey.

The best advice I've ever received is probably just to trust my gut. I know that sounds kind of silly, but I do think that a lot of good things come when you just listen to what you think is right. A lot of people will try to sway you in certain ways, but at the end of the day, whatever you think is right is right. That internal compass has guided me through important decisions, and I've learned that following my instincts leads to the best outcomes.

My advice would definitely be about understanding that there are no limits to who you need to be. I think a lot of times people think that there's only one way to be successful and to live, but you can still have everything that you're passionate about without sacrificing other things. Everyone can be a multitude - that's true for every single person in the world. Everyone can be several things at once and pursue all of the things that they want. You don't have to choose just one path or one identity. Embrace all of your passions and interests.

The biggest challenge is definitely just keeping people inspired and engaged with classical music. Obviously, music is changing so much every day, and there's so much to explore, but there's definitely a decreasing interest in classical music specifically. I think it's because times are changing and people want to do new things and experiment with music. But I obviously highly value classical music, and I think that there's a lot of merit in studying it and being able to know the background for when you do decide to experiment. I think that's kind of a bit of a lost art now. There's absolutely a draw to explore what could be for some people, and there are obviously a lot of super inspiring artists who are doing things that are very unclassical and those things end up being successful. But there's also a big difference between people who experiment without knowing the basics first. I think a lot of people who are successful with contemporary music have a strong background in classical music. There's a lot to learn about how literally notes are structured and how different things are put together, especially with instruments and notation. There are so many rules that exist but are not necessarily apparent to someone who's just listening. Taking music courses at Cornell, I've learned a lot more about how things are supposed to be structured and how there are hidden rules to what sounds good to the ear, even when you think that there isn't.

The values most important to me are definitely loyalty and hard work. I think both are very important to everything I do, both professionally and personally. These principles guide how I approach my music, my studies, and my relationships with others.