Classical music's next local generation

Well over 100 Holy Family parishioners were recently touched by the musical performance of two of their own at St. Ann's Church — Nancy Frye, a 17-year-old senior honor student at GHS, who began playing the violin at age 5 and the cello four years ago, and 9-year-old Rockport Elementary School third-grader Clarita Mazo who started playing the violin even younger, at age 3 1/2.

With Nancy as the cellist and Clarita as the violinist, the duo played Sarabanda e Aria (by Evaristo Felice Dall' Abaco 1675-1742) so well during the Holy Family Parish annual Advent/Christmas concert that the audience gave the musicians a powerful, prolonged standing ovation when it finally did.

Nancy and Clarita are not the first in their families to have musical talent.

Who got them started?

"My grandmother, Nancy Ward, recommended that I start violin lessons," Nancy explained.

Her mother, Hillary Frye added: "My husband, Gene, is from Virginia. Although he doesn't play an instrument, he is very well-versed in country music. My mother and her family were all very musical. They were all raised to play the piano; they handed Nancy the violin."

Some of the Fryes' musical heritage has also been passed on to Nancy's brother, Jay, a sophomore at St. John's Prep School who plays the guitar.

On the other hand, "My mom introduced me to the violin, and I liked the idea right away," Clarita explained.

She added, "My dad (Arturo) plays the piano. He's not bad for a grown up. My mom (Luz Marina) sings and plays the trumpet."

Arturo Mazo emigrated from Medellin, Colombia, to Lowell, Mass., in 1998 with his wife to earn a M.S. in Computer Science at UMass-Lowell. They later settled in Gloucester.

The Mazos also have a 4 1/2 year-old son, Victor.

"I love music in any way. I used to play in a band in Columbia. I got it (the talent) from my mom. My whole family is musical. I have five brothers and four sisters. We often got together, mostly on holidays, and did a night of music," Luz Marina explained.

"In Lowell I played the trumpet for four years in an orchestra. I was 7 months' pregnant with Clarita towards the end of that. That's where she got it (her musical talent). Also, I always have classical music playing in the car. She has always hummed to it," Luz added.

Countless hours of lessons and home practices have since deepened Nancy's and Clarita's musical talents. Nancy's parents first signed on the violin lesson services of professional musician Patricia Doucette from Gloucester and later those of Stephen Smith from Rockport for cello.

"I liked the violin, but I hated practicing. Now, I see how much it was worth it," said Nancy. To get her daughter to practice in the beginning, Nancy's mother devised a clever technique that rewarded her daughter with a small gift, usually relating to a violin, for every 24 hours of practice.

During their first meeting, Clarita's violin instructor, Narine Dolukhanyan from Waltham handed the 3 1/2-year-old a small a violin. The way the little girl held and played it soon made Dolukhanyan exclaim, "That's perfect. She has the ear."

About four years ago, Nancy and Clarita — also called Clara by many of her friends — began playing as a duet, and their friendship deepened.

Holy Family's Director of Music Ministry, Thomas Misuraca, ".., knew of them both, and he (along with the Fryes and Mazos) felt it (Nancy and Clarita teaming up) looked like a good duet," explained Hillary.

A couple of years ago the duo started a Monday afternoon practice session at the Fryes' home led by Luz Marina.

Besides performing at Holy Family parish, especially for its special church year events, the duo has also played at the Sawyer Free Library, Adult Day Care in Beverly, and Den Mar Nursing Home. Nancy is also a member of the Serenade Group and John Koza's and Allan Hawryluk's Symphony by the Sea Youth Orchestra, while Clarita belongs to Holy Family's Youth Choir.

How talented are they?

"Their talent is unbelievable. They have a music maturity within them that a lot of people don't accomplish in a lifetime," said Patricia Natti, Holy Family's Children's Choir coordinator.

Nancy's violin instructor of 12 years, Patricia Doucette, has also been impressed by her pupil's talent.

"I normally don't take on kids as young as 5. Nancy now plays and sight reads so well; she is also expressive. I can't tell you how much she has blossomed," said Doucette — who incidentally, performed at Medellin and Bogota, Colombia, as a 14-year-old member of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Not surprisingly, Dolukhanyan has been impressed by Clarita's ability.

"She's very talented. She is also very smart. She loves what she is doing and is having fun (doing it)."

Playing "... makes me happy, and it helps other people to like music," said Clarita, who beamed throughout much of her Advent/Christmas concert performance.

As a high school senior, Nancy is currently deciding which college to attend next year and what career path to trek.

"I don't want to go to musical school," she said. "I hope to do environmental work and will definitely go to a school where there's lots of music. I want to keep music part of my life," she said.

Clarita has been thinking about her future, too.

She explained, "I want to go to a school that has music and cosmetology. I would like to play in an orchestra and maybe solo, maybe at Carnegie Hall."

Gloucester lobsterman Peter K. Prybot writes regularly for the Times on the fishing industry and other community matters.

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