![Wayland Historical Society Executive Director Scarlett Hoey explains the history of the Cochituate Gatehouse.
"The exterior is still a nice monument to remember buildings [involved in] water history," Hoey said. "We all drink lots of water, and it's such an important resource that we kind of take for granted nowadays."](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_2024-1200x800.jpg)
Join WSPN’s Daniella Xue as she talks with senior Benjamin Pyhtila about his career as a cellist.
What instrument do you play?
I play the cello.
When did you start playing the cello?
I started when I was in third grade, so that’s nine years of playing so far. This is my tenth year.
Who would you say is your inspiration in music?
There are a lot of famous cellists that I listen to, such as Yo-Yo Ma, Jacqueline du Pré and Sol Gabetta. Those [people] are three that I like to listen to a lot.
Who is one person who helped you a lot in your music career?
I would say one person that has helped me a lot is definitely my private lesson teacher. He’s been with me since sixth grade and has always been teaching me, helping me and giving me tips.
What are some groups you play for at Wayland High School?
I am in the high school orchestra, and then I have an outside of school orchestra that I participate in and then perform for. I also have a quartet with a group of my friends. Sometimes I’ll go to conventions, or like houses and play a quartet for them.
What is your favorite piece that you have performed so far?
My favorite piece is definitely the one I just did: Elgar’s cello concerto in B minor. It just has such a good melody, and I fell in love with [the music] while I was playing it.
Do you ever get discouraged while playing? If so, what do you do to encourage yourself?
There are times when I can’t play some of the parts, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this ain’t good.’ If I do a performance, and I don’t do as well as I wanted to, I sometimes beat myself up. Sometimes, I’ll just go back to playing something simple, something that I enjoy [and] [figure] it out from there. [That helps me be] like, ‘Okay, I can play this instrument. I can do this.’”
What is one thing that you would tell someone who’s starting to learn an instrument?
Start slow. Don’t expect improvement in a day. You just have to keep practicing and practicing and practicing, and you’ll get better eventually, as long as you keep putting in the work.
