What turns a high school student into a passionate musician, mentor, and community builder? For Wakeland senior Maaz Shamim, the answer is simple: the power of music. 

Maaz is known to create community and music through his involvement in the Wakeland Band. For the past 7 years, Maaz has found his passion for music through countless hours of performance, practice, and camaraderie. For Maaz, music is more than just playing an instrument, but a universal language that resonates with people.

“For me I just really love creating [music], and helping other people create music to create those shared moments,” said Shamim. His profound love for creating shared musical experiences leads him to help others find passion and purpose in their instrumental practice.

Like other students of the band, Maaz first found passion for music in a moment of escape.

“There was this one time that I was in [the] Symphonic Band in [Mr. Berard’s] ensemble Freshman year,” said Maaz. “We were playing a piece called Song for Lyndsay, and I was playing the piano. At the end of this piece there’s this big emotional climax on the piano that brings itself in and ends into nothing.” Maaz recalls the stillness. 

The silence was deafening.  

In that moment, Maaz knew music had changed his life, forever.  “That was probably the moment I fell in love with music,” said Maaz. “Being able to hear the pure silence and stillness from everyone and feeling everyones’ sense of calm while everyone just had a shared moment of beauty, that was really rewarding for me,” said Maaz.

Maaz’s passion for music extends beyond his own performances. In fact, helping others and being a class mentor has become equally important to him.

Helping others is a way Maaz has expressed music as a creative outlet, sharing the love and fostering connections.

“As a part of the leadership in the band, I’ve gotten to help people individually with their instruments. During power lunch, I help freshmen with their etudes and some of the pieces they are playing,” said Maaz.

“Last year I got to set up this chamber concert that was all student-led and everyone got to put music together that they chose. Everyone was able to make beautiful music,  I thought that was really important. 

“This year, I’ve created a few ensembles and started a saxophone quartet where we are playing a piece composed by Maslanka right now, and we are going to submit to competitions.”

The passion for music has not only fallen on Maaz, but through his collaboration with fellow student performers he has led many others to find their song on the stage. 

“I’m also going to start a saxophone choir that I’ll be conducting, and I think that’s really important because I just want to be able to inspire [others] to just make beautiful music and have a shared connection. No matter what, I feel like that’s what music is about.”