Junior Benjamin Zhang uses a small knife to carefully shape the raw cane into a reed for his oboe — the mouthpiece of the instrument. He shapes, folds and ties the reed with string with precision and focus. 

“Playing the oboe is not just about making music,” Zhang said. “It’s about making your instrument as well, which is why I love it.”

Its woodworking element is one of many reasons why oboe is Zhang’s favorite of the nine instruments he plays: oboe, piano, English horn, clarinet, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel and auxiliary percussion instruments. Although piano was his first instrument, which he began at five, Zhang initially found it frustrating. Over time, as his skills improved, he began to enjoy playing and expressing himself through the piano, fueling his motivation to learn more about music.

In middle school, Zhang continued to learn new instruments, picking up the clarinet in sixth grade after trying it in a play-testing session in band class. After switching to oboe in seventh grade, it became his favorite and primary instrument. Joining the marching band at Lynbrook, he learned to play the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel and more. 

Outside of marching band, Zhang enjoys performing his oboe at recitals in concert halls, churches, schools and volunteer bands. Zhang liked sharing music with others, but approached competition

s with hesitation at first. 

“Competitions always meant some level of toxicity,” said Zhang. “There’s this mindset of participating to place, and I didn’t want that pressure. But when I gave it a try, I actually enjoyed it.” 

Zhang’s first competition was the Golden State Youth Orchestra Soloist Competition in 2025. Though he initially hadn’t planned on joining the competition, he was already a member of the orchestra and was persuaded and encouraged by his orchestra director, Adrienna Malley, to participate. He ended up winning the competition for a spot to perform with their Camilla-Kolchinsky Orchestra.

“There’s two different types of nervous,” Zhang said. “Good nervous — knowing that you’re prepared — and a bad kind of nervous where you know that you’re going to fall flat on your face. During the competition, I was feeling the good nervous. I came in with the mindset that I was going to present a beautiful piece for the auditioners and I wasn’t going to worry about what happens, because it’s really the process that matters.”

For Zhang, music is more than the sum of his many instruments: it is his way of relaxing and communicating.

“I would consider music the partner of one’s soul,” said Zhang. “Music isn’t just a way for me to decompress. It allows me to convey my feelings in partnership with my instrument, in a way that’s enchanting yet also genuine.”