Ismael Rodriguez is a one-man band.
The senior at Woodrow Wilson High School began playing the trumpet in seventh grade. Since then, he has taught himself — mainly by ear — to play the piano, all brass instruments (including alto sax and tuba), drums and other percussion instruments.
“The way you can play it, after a while, you start to dominate the thing,” says Rodriguez, who hopes to attend college on a music scholarship. “After a while, you start thinking, ‘I can actually make something pretty good out of this.’”
Ryan Baldridge, Woodrow Wilson’s band director, says it’s unusual for a 17-year-old to grasp music like Rodriguez does.
“It’s a rare kid to understand the underlying concepts of the different instruments. He’s done very well at that,” Baldridge says of Rodriguez, who has played trumpet, tuba and drums for the band. “It’s nice to know he’s there, and we count on him. I don’t have to worry about him.”
No one in particular steered Rodriguez down this path, and it wasn’t until middle school that he began receiving formal instruction, though always in a classroom setting and never in private lessons. His interest in music, however, began at an early age.
“Something attracted me to it,” Rodriguez says. “Ever since I was younger, I saw these other people playing instruments, and I just thought I wanted to play one. I’ve always been drawn to it even though when I was younger I didn’t play.”
And no one else in his family did. Then, in elementary school, he started learning about music through his music teacher.
“Most of the students wouldn’t pay attention to it,” Rodriguez says. “I would be memorizing everything she said … When I found music, I decided I liked it and just went with it.”
As soon as he could, he joined the band and learned to play the trumpet. He began experimenting with other instruments for more variety. His family doesn’t have the resources to buy all of the instruments he plays, so he borrows instruments from friends and school. His church also encourages his musical abilities, buying instruments for him and other members to play during services.
During the school year, Rodriguez arrives at school at 6:45 a.m. to practice with the rest of the band. Many afternoons, he stays after school to practice and help the band director. Last year, he competed in the University Interscholastic League band competition, where he ranked in the top 10 among students from 4A schools.
When he’s not in school, Rodriguez tries to practice at home every day after working with his father as a mechanic’s assistant. He also plays at his church on Friday and Sunday evenings and formed a Christian rock band this summer with other teenagers.
“One quality that set him apart is his perseverance,” Baldridge says. “That more than anything has given him success. He always goes past the point that most kids stop.”
