Caleb Smedra has been studying piano for 12 years; six of them under the tutelage of instructor Caytlin Reese of Bella Note Music Studio in Sandpoint. He has competed at the Spokane Piano Competition and Musicfest Northwest for five years. He has studied under professors Dr. Jovanni Rey de Pedro and Dr. Roger McVey, and composer Christopher Norton. He performed nationally, as well as overseas in Vienna and Bratislava. Caleb has also taught private piano lessons for two years.

Caleb’s favorite composers are Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. He enjoys music with strong imagery, like opera or ballet. “I love being able to take on a character through the music, exploring their emotions.” He also believes that music is a shared experience. “I grew up in an environment that was surrounded by all sorts of musical influences, and it has deeply affected how I hear music and how I view life. I love being able to share a musical experience or character with others, hopefully infecting them with some of the energy that I feel so deeply when I play.”

Caleb will be attending Point Loma Nazarene University this fall to pursue his Bachelor’s of Music in Performance and Composition. His dream is to split his time between music performance and writing his breakout novel series. Above all, he aspires to honor his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by blessing others with the gift of music.

Caleb is a performing and creative artist based in San Diego, California. In addition to his professional pursuits, Caleb loves to spend time in and upon the ocean. He is an avid devotee of both surfing and sailing, and cannot seem to make up his mind between the two. His dream upon graduation from PLNU is to purchase a used sailboat and brave his way through high seas to somewhere north of Scotland…

What instrument do you play?

I play piano, primarily. Though I also have experience playing with guitars, violins, and fire.

Have you pursued further education beyond high school? If so, where?I recently graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a double Bachelor’s of Music in Piano Performance and Composition. I considered going for a history minor on top of that, but it would have been a bit much. So yes, definitely pursuing further education wholeheartedly. The Covid pandemic has attempted to put a damper on my studies, but for now, we’re charging on.

What role has music played in your life?

I think that, as human beings, certain art forms really connect to us in deep, mysterious ways. They speak to the soul, feeding that part of us that is bigger than the physical. Some people have an affinity for visual art, others for poetry, others still for sculpture… Personally, I’ve always had an inexplicable connection to music. It’s a universal language of sorts, capable of communicating the most abstract musings of the emotions, able to transcend barriers of language and worldview, bringing people together in communion. There's a very mystic, religious power to music. And it really has shaped the path that I’ve walked these past 21 years.

In what ways will music be incorporated into your future plans?

Ideally, I’d love to fashion a career out of my pursuit of music, whether through performance, teaching, producing, composing, etc. But this world of ours seems to be constantly changing, and the future of the arts remains uncertain. No matter where I end up in life, my aim is always to make my music a priority. I don’t believe we are given gifts in vain, and I do believe it is my duty and calling to seek out ways to use my musical skills to bless and heal my community, wherever I am.

How did the Festival’s scholarship help you?

The scholarship contributed towards my first tuition check for my freshman year at PLNU! I could not have been more thankful for it. It has always been my goal to make it through college without student debt, so many, many thanks to the Festival at Sandpoint for their generous assistance.

"If you had one piece of advice for a young musicians, what would it be?”

I would definitely exhort young musicians to really apply themselves to their practice and to their pursuit of knowledge and skills. If you genuinely love music and performance, then don’t hold back from pursuing your interest. An abundance of talent is often comparable to a great deal of hard work. Don’t assume that just because you aren’t a child prodigy--or haven’t been performing in concert venues globally since the age of three--that you are of no significance in the musical world. We each carry a unique and powerful creative spark within us. Yours contains just as much transformative potential as mine. So don’t get caught feeling like you’ll never “really be any good.” Practice your instrument with diligence, listen to a wide variety of music, read up on famous composers, study theory and the construction of music… Apply yourself, do what you love, carry yourself with dignity, and honor your potential.