ROBINSON, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — Balancing academic, athletics, and extra curriculars at the college level is no easy task, however, one local student is finding success in all three.
Growing up in small town Princeton, Indiana, Sean Stone’s first and foremost passion was baseball. The sport earned him a scholarship to nearby Lincoln Trail College.
“I’ve always been full go on baseball, all the time”, Stone said. “Growing up I played summer baseball, high school baseball, fall baseball. It was all the time.”
A second interest formed when Stone laid his hands on a piano for the first time.
“I started banging around on the keys, trying to learn pieces”, Stone said. “It came a lot quicker than I realized. Before I knew it, I was playing famous composer’s pieces, and it just became something that I did every day. Not because I felt like I had to, but because I wanted to.”
Upon arrival at Lincoln Trail, Stone asked music professor Yvonne Newlin if he could take lessons. Newlin was blown away.
“We talked a little bit and I found out he was a beginner, he’s never had lessons”, Newlin said. “He came into my office, and I asked him if he could play anything for me and he said yes. He sat down and played exactly what I had played for the class as a demonstration. I asked him if he just played that after hearing me play it in class and he said yes. I was like oh my gosh, this kid is playing by ear.”
The past year, Stone has split time between the classroom, baseball field, and Lackey Music Hall.
“It’s between classes, before practice, after practice”, Stone said. “Pretty much every evening, I like to come in and play the piano here.”
Stone has advanced so far in just one year of training, he has put together multiple pieces of his own.
However, Lackey Music Hall might not get to hear Stone’s pieces for long, as the sophomore has his sights set on New York City.
“I hope to go play baseball and play piano at Columbia University”, Stone said. “I spoke to them briefly; I’ve already submitted my application. That would be the number one place I would go.”
Despite the rigorous time commitment, Stone said he feels lucky.
“I absolutely love both of them”, Stone said. “I am so fortunate to have many passions. It’s something that you get to wake up and look forward to every day. I look forward to coming in here and playing piano by myself. I look forward to going out to the field with my teammates and playing baseball with them. It’s something I’m very fortunate to have.”
Stone said he will hear back from the Julliard School of Music at Columbia sometime in May.
