Lambert is home to many passionate players of percussion, string, brass, chordophonic (piano, guitar) and reed instruments, and Lambert has a long history of music programs ranging from jazz band to orchestra to drumline. Such programs have inspired many students to refine their personal musical talents and appreciate music to the fullest extent.
Yuhan Ren is one such student who appreciates music to a great extent. With experience playing bass guitar in Lambert’s jazz band and working as a percussionist in Lambert’s Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Yuhan takes pride in her passions as an avid musician and performer. She has even showcased her personal skill for the electric guitar for multiple school events in the recent past.
Before learning guitar her freshman year, Yuhan was a member of her middle school’s choir. Though she did not continue chorus into high school, she became well-acquainted with the ukulele, a precursor to her future instrument.
“When I expressed interest in playing guitar, my parents suggested I try ukulele first,” Yuhan said. “I wanted to get a guitar because first of all, it looks cool, and I’ve also really wanted to join a band, and I feel like guitar is kind of one of the main instruments for that.”
Yuhan’s guitar talent has brought her to performing a variety of paid solo gigs at restaurants and such. One day, after a performance, Yuhan was offered to join a casual performing band, “Great Migration,” who plays for similar events.
“There’s me and a high school student and then there are like five adults, drums, guitar, bass acoustic guitar,” Yuhan said. “After a solo opportunity to play at a restaurant, I met them and they were like ‘hey, what about you perform with us?’”
Another band Yuhan is part of is “The Matchsticks,” a Lambert student duo involving herself on guitar and vocals and Seth King, a junior percussionist, on drums. Their most recent (and first) performance was as an entertainment act for Lambert TEDEd Club’s 2024 Event (Footage is available here).
“Seth and I are both in 8th period percussion, and then one day, he just asked me, ‘hey, do you want to, like, jam in the closet?’ and I was like, ‘sure, I’ll bring my guitar tomorrow!’” Yuhan said. “We started jamming, and I was like ‘hey, I have this TEDEd thing next week. It’s in like three days, but do you wanna join?’ And he said yes. Now, we’re thinking about starting an Instagram page to post reels and everything.”
Such enthusiasm is a common experience among many musically-inclined students at Lambert. The importance and allure of music grabs the attention of many for its ability to release emotion, soothe the soul and improve one’s overall wellbeing.
“Music is important to me because it really helped me get through some stressful times, especially with the pressure of high school and academics,” Yuhan said. “When I play guitar, I’m 100% focused, and I don’t really think about anything else. I just feel really good”
Apart from music, Yuhan is the founder of the ethnic charity organization Project Rising Tides. With more than 30 members, the organization focuses on encouraging women’s studies, funding public projects, opening paths to higher education and teaching music to inhabitants of the Tang village in rural China. Yuhan, having moved from Beijing to Forsyth county in 6th grade, leads Project Rising Tides and posts promotional information to hundreds of followers on the Chinese social media app WeChat.
“My Chinese identity is definitely a huge part of me,” Yuhan said. “China has a lot of tribes going extinct, and when I visit them, I really want to help them spread their culture and help them go for their dreams.”
An important aspect to Yuhan is her aptitude to try new things. If she never explored anything she thought she would enjoy, she would have never discovered her love for the guitar, her passion for performing, her affinity for Chinese culture or any of the other countless attributes that make an individual truly inspired.
“My passions make me happy: I can’t live without them,” Yuhan said. “They’re from my heart. When I do these things, I feel like that’s me, that’s me living my life, that’s Yuhan.”
