Arts Student of the Week-Jacob Pennington

For Niwot High band director Wade Hendricks, students like Jacob Pennington don't come around very often. Both a talented musician and gifted student, the junior is both a role model to his fellow bandmates and a delight to have in class.

"[Jacob] has lent his abilities to our groups on both trumpet and piano, jumping in and doing whatever is asked of him," Hendricks said in an email. "He is a fantastic soloist and has a great ear, analyzing chords and harmonies before I can figure them out....One of my favorite things about Jacob is his dry, witty sense of humor - he has had me in stitches a number of times."

Pennington took up piano as a third grader, then added trumpet when he went to middle school. He likes the versatility of both, but gives a slight edge to the piano, since it is a "great learning tool." He said he is not picky about the types of music he plays, but will always enjoy jazz. He is grateful to Mr. Hendricks and the Niwot music faculty for the opportunity to explore music, and said he got a lot out of his years in the program.

Though technically a junior, Pennington is on track to graduate with the class of 2021, and will enroll at Auburn University in the fall. Faced with the prospect of moving before his senior year, Pennington instead chose to take a few extra classes in P.E., English and math, and skip 12th grade altogether. He said the extra workload wasn't too difficult to manage, especially because it allowed him to explore more advanced mathematics.

Indeed, outside of music, math is one of Pennington's passions, and his chosen course of study at Auburn. He hasn't definitively picked a career, but is interested in data analysis. He has no plans to pursue a professional music career, but said it would always be part of his life, and he would be open to joining a band or combo as a hobby.

When he's not making music or solving differential equations, Pennington enjoys getting outside and spending time with his brothers.