Aimee Arciniega & Parents
FAYM Student
June 2026

Aimee Arciniega, age 12​

6th Grade at Mike O’Callaghan Middle School

As we talk about some of your experiences and interests, what would be helpful for me
to know about you?
I like to be friendly and am often the first one to start a conversation. If someone comes up to
me, I might say, “Hello, how are you?”

If I asked one of your best friends to tell me about you, what might he or she say?
That I’m funny and also a kind person.

What do you remember about starting to play the violin?
When I was very young, maybe 3 or 4, my older siblings were both in FAYM. I wanted to get a
violin and kept asking Mr. Thomas. Finally, when I was about 5, he said I could have one! I
remember playing in a class at the library with Miss Erika. She was a really good teacher.

What do you enjoy about playing the violin?
I feel like playing the violin translates music into emotion. You can tell that people have some
sort of emotion when they play music, and it gives me a warm feeling about playing the violin.

What have you found challenging?
One of the challenges I have is learning certain positions. Especially when I play fast. Going
back and forth on the fingerboard is difficult to control, so I am inspired to play like Ms. Nataliya.

 

Tell me about taking private lessons from Ms. Nataliya. What you are focusing on this
year?
We are working on bow control. That means controlling how long a bow stroke is for a note. We
are also focusing on how to shift cleanly.

What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy drawing and have several sketch books. I also like to play video games. When I see
video characters I like, it’s fun to draw them. I also like to be outside.

Tell me about some of your activities and interests at school.
I like math although it is a difficult subject. I like to listen to music when there is time, for
example, during lunch. I also like science because it shows most of the discoveries of the Earth
itself.

What kinds of music do you like to listen to?

I listen to a bunch of different singers. One I like is Jake (he spells his name JVKE). He write
songs about romance, such as “Golden Hour.”

I know you have siblings who also play. How is your approach to practicing similar to or
different from theirs?
We often play together in orchestra. What’s different is that I am the only one who still plays
violin after 7 years. They have switched instruments. I’m also taking cello lessons now. When I
used to listen to my siblings practice, I thought I would like to learn to play like that. I was
inspired by them.

You attend lots of music programs with your parents. When you watch others perform,
what are they able to do that you want to learn to do?
Sometimes during certain passages their fingers move to fast I can hardly see them. They
become a blur. I wonder how they do that! I really enjoyed a chamber concert recently when Las
Vegas Sinfonietta played Bach (The Art of Fugue) for over an hour, with neat variations and
melodies.

What has surprised you (about yourself) during these years of taking lessons?
How far I have come. Going from beginning lessons at the library to playing at the Smith Center.
I remember playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and now playing pieces by John Williams and
songs from famous movies like “Coco”.
Also learning to play in different positions. I can go pretty high now compared to a few years
ago.

When you think about your life ten years from now, do you imagine you will still be
playing music? Explain.
Yes I will still be playing, but maybe not full-time. It’d be fun to play to relax or focus. Maybe join
a quartet.

What might you tell a beginning violin student to encourage him or her?
If you have the passion to play, then do it. There’s nothing stopping you from
being able to play the violin. There’s no limit.

​

Lis and Jesus Arciniega - Aimee's Parents

How did you hear about FAYM?
We first heard about FAYM through a Spanish newspaper article.

When did Aimee start taking classes? With what group/s is she currently playing?
Aimee started taking classes at the East Las Vegas Library back in 2019.
Aimee is currently in the FAYM Orchestra with Mr. Thomas, Cello Classes with Mr. Tony
Rodriguez, and private violin lessons with Miss Nataliya Karachentseva.
Aimee is also in the Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas conducted by Kerry Benett and
Yunior Lopez as well as the Las Vegas Sinfonietta Academy Orchestra conducted by Tyler
Gordon. 

How would you describe Aimee’s experience of being in the program? And yours as a
parent?
We feel that Aimee’s experience in the program has been a positive and enriching journey. We
can see that it is quite challenging at times, especially when she is learning new techniques and
practicing regularly. However, overcoming these challenges allows her to improve her skills and
grow as a musician.
As parents, we are appreciative of the experience that FAYM provides for kids. FAYM creates a
healthy learning environment designed to help our children learn and reach their potential in
music.

What, if any, changes have you noticed in Aimee since she started playing the violin?
We have noticed that she is more confident, especially when participating in performances or
group activities.

How have you adjusted to the challenges of bringing Aimee to lessons and encouraging
her to practice? How has her experience been different from that of her siblings?
Sometimes, it is difficult for us to make it on time to her classes due to Las Vegas traffic and
other after-school activities. Even with all these challenges, she practices daily before going to
bed. Her experience in the program is different than that of her siblings since she started playing
the violin younger than them.

If other parents were to ask you about highlights in the FAYM program, what might you
tell them?
One of the biggest highlights of being in the program that we would share with other parents is
that FAYM is affordable while providing instruments and other necessary equipment for the
students to succeed.
Another highlight of FAYM is that all the faculty are highly qualified. All FAYM’s teachers are
amazing musicians who enjoy working with the kids.

If FAYM were not here, would Aimee be involved in music lessons? Explain.

If FAYM wasn’t here, Aimee would not be involved in music lessons. There’s not another
program like FAYM in the Las Vegas Valley and it would be difficult for us to pay for the things
that FAYM provides.

What role, if any, did music play in your life when you were growing up?
For us, music has always been there. Now that our kids have been in the FAYM program, we
appreciate it more.

What changes would you like to see in the FAYM program that could benefit Aimee and
other students?
We would mainly like to see the FAYM Orchestra engaging more in community events or other
activities.

Other thoughts about FAYM?
We would like to encourage parents to have patience. Many parents believe that their kids are
going to be playing like experts in a short period of time, and when they don’t see many results,
they start to get desperate. However, it takes time and patience to learn how to play music.
We would also like to thank FAYM for allowing our kids to engage with music, as without FAYM,
our kids wouldn’t be involved in music at all.