Artist of The Issue: Ernest Lai ’25

Clarinetist and current senior Ernest Lai ’25 is integral to BH’s music scene. While Ernest is most known around campus for his clarinet-playing prowess, he played many instruments before picking up the clarinet. Ernest played the piano throughout his childhood. When he was 11, he took up a second instrument to try something new and expand on his growing interest in music. Ernest’s process of choosing an instrument was pretty simple. His neighbor was a professor at Berklee who, in Ernest’s words, “could play any woodwind instrument.” Ernest decided to try out the saxophone from a wide variety of instruments. Shortly after picking up the new instrument, he realized “it wasn’t for him”. In search of a new instrument, he consulted his neighbor, who said, “Once you play clarinet, you can play anything else.” The neighbor’s appealing insight and convincing words were enough for Ernest to decide on a new adventure. 

When Ernest entered Belmont Hill in 8th grade, he immediately joined the orchestra. In his words, “The orchestra offered a sense of community and helped me do something I love.” His hard work and dedication to the orchestra have earned praise from many of his peers in recent years. In the words of current senior Adrian Tan, “Ernest is definitely a large part of what makes the orchestra successful and a community.” In more recent years, he has been repeatedly invited to play with the Northeast Senior District Orchestra. He said, “It was a testament to all the hard work I put in all those years.”

In the future, Ernest hopes to continue his decorated clarinet career while sharpening his piano skills and his words, “The piano will always be there no matter what.” He recently has also started to learn how to play the guitar. He said, “I just wanted to try something new and different from what I have been doing before.” With his newfound interest in the guitar, he hopes to continue learning and getting better at playing the instrument soon. Of course, Ernest will be playing with the orchestra during his remaining year at Belmont Hill and will be fulfilling the role of being a role model for younger musicians. Ernest said, “It’s kinda cool that I can be the person they look up to now since I used to look up to the older guys.”