Senior Spotlight:
Yende Mangum
Interviewed by Katie Huynh (12-2)
Photographed by Theo Wyss-Flamm (12-4)
What are your New Year’s Resolutions?
My resolutions are to be nicer to my brothers and to be more open to instruction. Also to keep my room clean, which is way harder than it sounds. Gotta practice good roommate etiquette.
Who do you consider your role model and why?
My dad. Or my mom. They’re both great people. If I didn’t turn out right, it’s not their fault, because they set a damn near perfect example. Also Quavo from Migos—he’s always a positive smiling face. Probably because he has diamond grills.
What things do you hope 2020 will bring you?
Scholarship money.
Any upcoming plans music-wise?
Mystic Prize has an album coming soon, so be on the lookout! I have also been commissioned to compose an orchestral suite by the end of the year. It will probably end up being at least thirty minutes long. I have no idea why I agreed to this.
What are you looking forward to after graduation?
COLLEGE. And laughing at my brothers for still being in school.
Favorite musical memory?
I met my idol Chick Corea backstage after one of his concerts a couple years ago. Completely starstruck. I told him that he inspired both me and my teacher to play the piano, and that I performed one of his lesser-known compositions in an audition for a summer program. When I told him which piece it was, he said that he plays that exact piece to warm up when he practices every day! The video is posted on my Instagram if you don’t believe me.
What will you miss most about school?
Definitely the auditorium, I have a lot of great memories in there. But that can be said about pretty much every room. I’ll miss erasing things off the whiteboards. Like parts of letters and numbers and stuff. Also, I will miss dapping people up in the hallway. Especially Mr. O’Neil, those are always clean.
Favorite cheesy joke?
A piece of string walks into a bar and orders a drink from the counter. The bartender says “sorry, we don’t serve strings here.” The piece of string leaves the bar, upset. He ties himself up and messes his hair up out of rage. Determined to have his drink, he goes back into the bar. The bartender asks, “hey, aren’t you that piece of string I just kicked out of here?” The string replies, “no, I’m a frayed knot.”