It had been three hours of practice. Freshman Josiah Yoo set his cello beside him as his sister, junior Noelle Yoo, removed her violin from her shoulder.

“We don’t sleep,” said Noelle. “And practicing alone takes like two to three hours, and that doesn’t include lessons, rehearsals and orchestras,”

Despite the social sacrifices both Josiah and Noelle make due to  lack of time and conflicting lesson times, Josiah and Noelle agree that playing music has brought them closer to friends and community members whom they would not have met otherwise.

Throughout their musical experiences, the Yoos have individually won multiple awards in competitions such as the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Society of American Musicians Competition. The siblings have learned from their parents that music is an art that can be shared. From music, Noelle said she has learned the “importance of working hard for something that you want and not [performing] for selfish reasons because you can’t just play for yourself, that’s not why you play music. … It is for the audience.”

Josiah said that aside from the siblings’ school-related and extracurricular musical activities, they also perform every Sunday morning at the Bethel Christian Church in Chicago, where their father is a pastor. Even though this activity may not be as “intense” or “important” as school performances, Josiah said the audience truly appreciates the simple act.

Renee Yoo, mother of the siblings, said that as Noelle and Josiah get older, they want to use music to give back through activities like music therapy or raising money for a special cause.

Last summer, Noelle visited El Salvador for a mission trip and carried her violin with her. Even though there was a language barrier, she was able to connect with the people through music.

“A lot of times, I didn’t even know what [the Salvadorans] were saying, but I knew that they felt what was coming out of my violin and that they could relate to that rather than just speaking,” said Noelle. “I think that was really powerful, and that made me realize how far music reaches people as like a communicating and a social thing rather than just an art.”

As a parent watching her children play for many years, their mother said, “What’s encouraging to see is that in the beginning, when they’re little, they were just pretty much obedient and doing what their parents were asking them to do. … I have learned from my own children, … that it is not about playing to get recognition, but [about playing] to bring joy to the listeners.”

She believes music can help give back to the community. She said her children realize how fortunate they are, so they try to give back by playing small, non-profit concerts.

“That’s what it’s really for, it’s not for yourself, it is a gift that you give to other people,” their mother said.