The Tarrant County Orchestra Halloween concert was a family affair. Sean Ashrafian and his wife, Phuong, sat in the audience to see five of their six children perform in “Harry Potter vs. Sweeney Todd” on NE Campus on Oct. 27.
It has become a family tradition for the Ashrafian children to take music lessons and eventually join the orchestra at TCC. Sean Ashrafian said he took free violin lessons as a child but didn’t have the family support to pay for them.
“I always wanted to play an instrument, and I couldn’t afford it,” he said. “It was my dream to always play violin. And I’m living my dream through my kids. And lucky for me, they all picked it up, and they’re doing it.”
Keller High School sophomore and bassist Armin Ashrafian said the experience of playing in an orchestra with many of his siblings was good for his musical education.
“It’s scary when you’re by yourself,” he said. “And since we all know each other, we can go through it, even in tough times. If the music is hard, we can all help each other out.”
The Ashrafians were not the only people who attended the concert to support family members.
Tamara Maya was at the concert to be there for her two sons, Gabriel and Ezekiel, who were performing. Maya said she is glad her sons are so passionate about music.
“The orchestra makes them focus on something other than, I guess you could say, cars and girls,” she said. “Life without ambition is pointless, so it’s really important to have [my] sons join the orchestra or get into music, because it gives them ambition.”
NE student Connor Merritt is part of the music department and brought their family and friends to the concert.
“I know a lot of people in the orchestra, and I think they did really good,” Merritt said.
NE student and trumpet player Sean Chavez has been a part of the orchestra since his first year at TCC. Chavez wanted to join the jazz ensemble but changed his direction when he discovered TCC had an orchestra.
He said the most rewarding part of being in the orchestra is how he can put a smile on people’s faces.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Chavez said. “If I make one person’s day better, if any of [the orchestra members] make one person’s day better, then that’s enough for us. That’s the whole reason we do all of this.”
The Tarrant County Orchestra’s next concert will be a holiday concert on Dec. 9 at Hurst Conference Center. The concert will feature the entire NE music department, including the choir, symphony and big band.
In the meantime, Sean Ashrafian will sit behind the drums and play music with his children in the music room in their home.
“They’re my musicians, and I love it,” he said. “When I sit back there, I enjoy it. It’s the best prize in the world.”
