Coeur d’Alene graduate’s talent, drive took her to Carnegie Hall – twice

During Samantha Helal’s junior year, Coeur d’Alene High School band and orchestra director Jim Phillips suggested she audition to play in a national youth orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She thought it wasn’t realistic.

Helal had only played the bass for two years and had two weeks to learn the audition pieces.

“But it turned out it was something I’d already played,” she said. When she sent in the recording of an excerpt from Bach’s Third Symphony, she not only made the orchestra, she was awarded first chair.

“When I have students that are at her level in high school they need to get pushed out of the nest a little bit so they can have a chance to grow on their own terms,” Phillips said. He wasn’t surprised her audition went well.

“By the time she was a sophomore she’d already gone to the state solo contest. She only started playing bass when she was a freshman. Two years later she’s at the national level,” he said.

“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Helal said of playing in New York. “The hall is so beautiful and I got to meet so many incredible musicians.”

Helal began her musical training with piano in first grade. In sixth grade, she took up percussion in band. In high school she wanted a new musical challenge so Phillips suggested the bass.

“She played it and found her voice,” he said, adding that Helal has also played trombone in marching band, played in the jazz band that meets before school and took on a leadership role as a drum major this year.

“She really pushed herself and stretched and auditioned to be the drum major. She’s not afraid to take charge, though she’s short of stature,” he said. “The kids respect her. She has the musical chops to back up what she’s saying.”

This year, Helal also played with the Coeur d’Alene symphony for four concerts. And she went back to Carnegie Hall.

“She did it twice,” said Phillips, a note of admiration and pride in his voice. “The fact that she did it again, it’s not just one in a million to play at Carnegie Hall. It’s twice in a million. … She can take on any musical challenge I throw at her. She’s a poster child for this is how you do this. You set a goal and achieve it through hard work and perseverance.”

Helal, who is eighth in her class with a 4.3 weighted GPA, said after graduation she’ll study environmental engineering and minor in music at the University of Minnesota. She hopes to become a contractor in a bigger city, continuing to make music in a community orchestra.

It’s the culmination of “all the hard work I’ve put in throughout high school to get to where I am academically and in music,” she said, stressing she’s grateful for supportive parents who paid for lessons and band camp, drove to solo contests and encouraged her to audition.

“They’ve always encouraged me with my music. My parents went to every band concert,” she said. “Music is my big outlet. Music is a great way to express myself. It’s really fun for me to make something so beautiful out of some black dots on a piece of paper.”