Amanda Eneh

  • Program: Charter Oak Cultural Center
  • School: Renzulli Academy
  • Location: Hartford, Connecticut
  • Instrument: Flute

We are excited to announce that our April Music Student of the Month is Amanda Eneh, a music student at Charter Oak Cultural Center!

Amanda Eneh is an 11-year-old student at Renzulli Academy in Hartford, CT. Though young, Amanda is already an accomplished musician and athlete, a passionate student and voracious reader, and an aspiring pediatrician.

Amanda has played the flute for three years and has recently begun studying the violin. She plays in the middle school band at Renzulli Academy and with the Funky Dawgz Brass Band Ensemble at Charter Oak Cultural Center. Amanda has also tried out piano, guitar, and snare drum, though the flute remains her number one instrument. "I like playing the flute, it's fun," Amanda said. "Some people say that it's a hard instrument, and I'm happy that I was able to learn how to play it. My music teacher says I'm good, so I'm really proud."

Amanda loves school, and already has all of her high school classes picked out. "I really like to study a lot," Amanda says. "My first favorite subjects are science and math. I finished my science homework before I had to leave school today!"

Amanda hopes to become a doctor when she grows up, and says, "Ever since I was about three or four I've wanted to be a pediatrician." When asked why she wants to work with kids, Amanda explained: "I really like children. Whenever I go to family gatherings I'm usually one of the first people to play with my baby cousins."

Amanda has strong connections to her family, and enjoys visiting her whole extended family in Nigeria. "My family is Nigerian. Both my parents are from Nigeria. We're planning to go this December for Christmas," said Amanda. "I really like seeing all of my cousins, all my family friends, uncles, aunts, everyone. That's what I spend most of my time doing when I go there." Amanda especially enjoys connecting with her grandfather over their shared love of music. "He can take a piece of music whenever I'm practicing my music...and read it all in solfège."

Amanda has trouble choosing her favorite activities. "I have a very wide range of things that I like to do and talents. I like sports, I love reading, I paint watercolors. I like a lot of things. That's why it's really hard to put myself in one category!" Amanda was on her school volleyball team, and also enjoys swimming, badminton, and tennis, which her grandfather taught her to play. She enjoys reading, and loves both classics like Black Beauty and Little Women as well as Harry Potter (she would be in Ravenclaw House if she went to Hogwarts).

Amanda looks forward to a future of learning, traveling the world, and continuing to study music. Her 6-year-old sister Amasi just began taking music lessons at Charter Oak Cultural Center, and Amanda says she hopes she is a strong role model. We're sure that she already is, since, "[Amasi] said she wanted to play the flute like me!"