Cupertino High School sophomore Likun Yang is striking a chord in the world of classical music as an English Language Development student, composing original pieces in English that highlight her distinctive voice as a developing artist.
Yang’s journey to music began in the first grade, when she joined a music school in her home country, China. “I thought the conductor had magic,” Yang said. Ever since, she has known that composing is something she wants to do for the rest of her life — and as a career.
To be a composer, Yang believed she needed to learn English. She realized that in China, the path she had chosen was not a typical one and would be challenging to progress in. Therefore, as her family prepared to move to America when she began ninth grade, Yang dedicated herself to picking up the English language within her ELD classes.
A music score is the written form of a composition, showing all the instructions performers need to play. While adjusting to school in the United States, Yang struggled to keep up with the technical side of music. Her teacher encouraged her to study theory — the grammar of music, which explains how notes and rhythms fit together. With this advice, Yang began using theory as a tool to translate the sounds into scores, allowing her to express herself and share her ideas with others.
Yang has also taken significant initiatives to move closer to her goal of mastery. As her class prepared for the spring orchestra concert, she independently composed a full ensemble piece and shared it with her director. Impressed by her work, he gave her the unique opportunity to have her creation performed live, for the first time, in the show.
At the heart of her dream to compose, Yang simply wants to share music with others.
“I cannot imagine being anything but a musician. I want my music to make people happy,” Yang said. She is already living that mission today by managing dedicated accounts on Instagram, Rednote and TikTok where she shares her compositions and performances with a growing audience of listeners.
Yang’s journey is a powerful reminder of how new voices bring authenticity and innovation to our community. As she continues to compose and share her music, she has also noticed that few undergraduate programs offer conducting majors — an absence that fuels her determination to carve her own path and expand the space for musicians to imagine what is possible. Her journey reflects the beauty of a community that grows richer when diverse talents are given room to flourish.
