By Jennifer Fusco

Bach. Beethoven. Valentino. You probably don't recognize that last composer, yet, but chances are you will someday. A senior honors student, Patrick Valentino is already sharing his works with the world. He is heading to Russia next month to have his original compositions performed at the world-renowned school of music, the Moscow State Conservatory.

Valentino spent last spring, along with five other MSU students, studying composition and conducting at the Conservatory. The faculty was so impressed with his work (he had two premieres at a concert in the Rachmannivov Hall) they invited him to return to have his work performed by their students. "I'll be bringing music that is very emotional and accessible," said Valentino."Things they wouldn't normally play. It's American with a slightly Spanish feeling."

For this young talent, it is a prestigious honor, but Valentino is looking at it as a learning experience as well. "I hope they get something out of it, but it's a two-way street. I'm going back to learn from them. It's truly a musical journey."

Growing up in a musical family of "all amateurs," Valentino got his first musical experience taking piano and trumpet lessons. While music became a steady part of his life--dabbling in composing, starting his own jazz band and conducting the marching band in high school--Valentino always thought of it as a hobby, not something he would pursue professionally.

Valentino said his high school didn't have an exceptional program so he continued to enrich himself though outside sources. "I went to an honors band program at Rutgers in my freshman year and I saw kids who were more advanced than me, and I saw the difference between music being recreation and something you could pursue as a career." That became more evident after he began taking private lessons in composition with a professor from Juilliard. With only his little technical training, Valentino came to Montclair State with the hopes of refining his skills under a full academic scholarship. What he discovered here was not only the education he needed to succeed, but opportunities to share his talent with the campus and community. He has had three full-length public concerts consisting solely of his compositions, as well as numerous other premieres.

In his sophomore year, Valentino became the first Montclair State undergraduate to be commissioned by a University ensemble, and he's been commissioned by nearly every campus ensemble since, resulting in works for band, orchestra, choir, percussion, chamber and microtonal ensembles. He now serves as the assistant conductor of the Montclair Symphony Orchestra.

Valentino offers high praise for the experiences he's had at Montclair State. "The teachers here are phenomenal," he said. "It's like having teachers from all the best schools combined into one. Some of them are world-renowned performers and pillars in their fields. The faculty is legitimately interested in making you better at what you do and making you successful. Montclair State is the best-kept secret in the northeast when it comes to music, if not the whole country."

During his visit last year, Valentino noticed something about the Russian players. "They are technically proficient, but their music seems to lack emotion," he said. "The Russians don't understand that technical ability is always what comes first, but it's not the be-all and end-all. They believe greater proficiency comes with stoicism. They don't realize that music is a communication of an emotion. My goal is to get them to put their heart into it."

Valentino wants his relationship with the Conservatory to continue long after the performance. "This is turning into something I hope will stay for the rest of my life. I would love it if I could go there every year," he said. "Globalization is something that has to happen in the arts. It's the only way to become successful as a performer. You've got to get out there, form relationships on a personal level and build a reputation."

After earning a bachelor's degree in May, Valentino intends to go to graduate school. "There's always more to learn," he said. "I look at what I've accomplished and I've gotten closer to reaching my goals, but I'm not there yet."

Though he's not quite sure when that will be, he does have an idea of how he'll know. "A piece of paper doesn't make you a composer," he said. "It's having 'the voice'--that inherent quality that makes music instantly recognizable to people, like Mozart or Beethoven. When they know its Valentino, I'll have 'the voice.'"