PLAYER OF NOTE YOUNG VIOLINIST SHOWING PROMISE.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LITTLEROCK - Eleven-year-old Laurann Estevez's musical career has been progressing nicely since she took up violin three years ago.

She auditioned last year for the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra and became its youngest member, and has just returned from performing at New York's Carnegie Hall, where she played in the fourth chair.

``It was amazing. Carnegie Hall is really cool,'' said Estevez, who just finished up sixth grade at Cimarron School. ``We also played in Boston at Faneuil Hall. We got to do a lot of stuff - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Rockefeller Center.''

Her violin teacher in Santa Monica, Julia Cser, said Laurann is a born performer with deep talent. She said the Pasadena orchestra is one of the best for its age group, which is for sixth- through ninth-graders.

``She is one of these special kids. She's got music oozing out of her pores. She's got a beautiful sound for an 11-year-old,'' Cser said. ``She's not only very talented, she's an incredible kid, a very rare child because she's so genuine and sociable and she connects with people.''

Laurann's mother, Cynthia, a teacher at Desert Sands Charter School, said being musical doesn't run in the family, so Laurann is the exception.

``She has always been very musical. She sang from the time she was able to talk,'' Cynthia Estevez said.

It might have helped that her mom, who minored in children's music in college, emphasized music early on.

``Music is very important to us. We really believe music stimulates the brain,'' said Estevez, a single parent who also has a 7-year-old son.

Laurann's grandmother, Laura Mitobe, said that Laurann, after coming home from the hospital, would not go to sleep unless classical music was played.

``In the car, she had a certain tape with kids' songs on it. She would scream her head off until we played it,'' Mitobe said.

Estevez doesn't know where her daughter's love for the violin comes from, but suspects it stems from when she watched a movie called ``The Red Violin'' when she was about 4 years old.

When Laurann started piano lessons at age 5, she asked the piano teacher if she could teach her how to play the violin.

At Cimarron School, where Mitobe teaches, Laurann was put in the violin class. After about two weeks, the music teacher told Mitobe that Laurann was talented and picking up the instrument quickly, and recommended she get private lessons.

``The minute she picked it up, it just belonged to her,'' Mitobe said. A foundation has loaned the violin that Laurann plays now, Mitobe said.

Laurann has been a student of Cser's for more than a year. She travels to Santa Monica twice a week for lessons and to Pasadena once a week for practice with the youth orchestra.

Laurann, who practices 1 1/2 to two hours every day, said she loves the violin because it makes her feel good.

``If I'm playing a sad song, it makes you feel sad. If it's a happy song, you feel happy. It's just like it connects with you and it makes you feel how it's feeling,'' Laurann said.

As for when she grows up, Laurann said, ``I want to be a violin player and sing.''

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) Laurann Estevez, 11, of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra began playing the violin three years ago.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer