Grace Gonzalez-Whitten began playing the flute in the sixth grade as part of her band program and has accrued multiple accolades since. She recently placed first in the Division I of the Bristol Music Club Scholarship auditions and was a winner in other divisions in 2021 and 2022.
“I originally had little to no interest in music, especially in band, but I grew to love practicing and playing the flute. A year later, I joined the Watauga Valley Fife & Drum Corps as a fifer. My experience as a fifer truly helped launch me into the musical world,” she said.
At Elizabethton High School, she participated in marching and concert band, where she was first chair and section leader. She also restarted and led the EHS Flute Choir. She and fellow band member, Dawson May, created an annual event called EHS Flute Day where they recruited and taught young flutists.
She won the Tennessee Division II State Marching Band Championship Scholarship Award and the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence. She was accepted into the Tennessee Governors School for the Arts and the ARIA International Summer Music Academy. She won second place at both The Kingsport Music Club and Middle Tennessee State University Flute Festival Senior Scholarship Competitions.
She also received the Paramount Chamber Players Award in 2021. She has won a number of honors in Solo and Ensemble Master Class, Junior and Senior Clinic, All-East Senior Clinic Bands, and the Elizabethton High School Band. In addition, she has played in the Symphony of the Mountains Youth Orchestra. She has twice been a Women’s Symphony Committee Scholarship Winner. Grace has attended the virtual Oberlin College and Conservatory Flute Boot Camp.
“What I love most about performing is the energy. Of course, there is the energy between performers, a mixture of excitement and nerves, but there is also the energy from the audience. The audience’s reactions motivate me to strive for better performances.
“For myself, music is both a way to escape and connect. When life isn’t going how you hoped, music is there to sooth and distract. But music can also help you meet others and form truly meaningful, unforgettable bonds. For me the idea that there is an infinite amount of music to play and things to learn excites me and keeps me going.
“I have a very scheduled and methodical approach when it comes to music. I obsess over organization and planning, so I like to make a practice regimen for myself that usually covers a few weeks. In terms of playing style, I strive for a silky silver sound,” she says.
She loves hiking, baking and thrifting. But her secret hobby is that she likes cars, although she’s still working on how to drive a manual.
Grace is 18 years old. Her parents are Anne Whitten and Jose Gonzalez. Her hometown is Elizabethton, Tennessee, and she recently graduated from Elizabethton High School. She plans to attend Middle Tennessee State University majoring in flute performance with a minor in Spanish.
