"After you've played a long time, you just know where the notes are," she said. "It's harder than playing the piano, because on the piano you just press a key, and it plays a note. But when you play a note on the violin, you have to make sure it isn't too high or too low."

Jessica, a junior at Saratoga High School, is one of three musical masters at the school who recently received recognition for her talent. Jessica performed a solo with the California Youth Symphony on March 14 and 21 at the Flint Center in Cupertino. Her solo was the Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber, one of the most revered of 20th-century American composers.

"It's a big deal because it's your chance when the spotlight is focused on you," she said.

Jessica received the distinction after being one of two winners of the 2003 California Youth Symphony Young Artists Competition held at Stanford University last June. Jessica enjoyed the opportunity to express herself through the long, difficult concerto.

Before her junior year, Jessica said she practiced the violin about two hours every day. But homework, tests and a busy schedule have encroached upon her practice time this year. She is considering becoming a violin teacher in the future.

"Jessica is very attentive and dedicated to her craft," said SHS music director Michael Boitz. "But when we have downtime, she likes to joke around with her friends. Jessica is a kid who could do just about anything she wants to do."

Jessica's schoolmate, sophomore Emily Chin, 15, auditioned in October to play a saxophone concerto with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, a youth orchestra of Bay Area musicians ages 8 through high school, and was picked for the part. She'll perform a solo, 10-minute concerto by composer Alexander Glazunov on May 8 at Henry M. Gunn High School in the Spangenberg Auditorium in Palo Alto, with the youth orchestra in the background.

"I keep telling you, we have so many famous people here at this school," said Boitz, enthusiastic about the success of his student.

In addition to her musical talent, Boitz said Emily is known by her peers for her mismatched, colored socks and artistic flare. She's into acrylics and charcoal painting just as much as wind ensemble and jazz band.

"People would say music and art are both forms of expression," Emily said. "That's what I like about music. Even if it's one piece, you can make it feel so many different ways."

Junior Alex Shiozaki, on violin, was recently selected as concert master for the California All-State Orchestra. For the fourth consecutive year, members of the Shiozaki family have maintained the concert master title, since Alex's brother proceeded him in this role for two years.

There were eight students from Saratoga High School representing the campus in an All-State Orchestra performance in March. For the fourth year, Jessica Chang was picked as first chair viola.

Concert master meant Alex sat first chair, leading his section of the orchestra in tuning and playing along with the conductor. Alex said he's been playing violin for 13 years, practicing two to three hours daily.

"If I could have my dream job, it would be with the San Francisco Symphony," he said.

Alex's inspiration came from a summer camp where he met other students passionately interested in music.

"When I came out of the camp, it was a big shift in my mentality. It was being exposed to people interested in music, and I became one of them," he said.