By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Mahomet, Ill.- Wherever Domenic and Nicolina Di Girolamo go, the sounds of music seem to follow.
It is prominent in the upbringing of the teen-aged Mahomet siblings.
“I started singing before I could read,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said. “I remember my mum would print out the lyrics, but put pictures beside all the words to help me learn the words.”
Domenic Di Girolamo, who will start his sophomore year at the University of Illinois in August, took up the piano as a 7-year-old.
“My mom’s friend gave us a piano,” he said. “Before we started formal lessons, my mom printed off a bunch of sheet music for beginners and I set about trying to figure out how to play it by myself.
“I feel like that sent me on a journey of musical learning, and I’ve never looked back.”
Three years ago, their individual interests became a shared passion.
“The first time my sister and I did a prepared piece together was in 2016 for our grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary,” Domenic Di Girolamo said.
“We were sort of forced into it at first,” said 17-year-old Nicolina Di Girolamo. “We were in Canada visiting family and celebrating our grandparents’ 60th anniversary, and my mum wanted us to perform for them.
“So, she printed out some songs for us to learn, and we did. We had just gotten our keyboard and microphone and everything was so new. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I remember thinking how good we sound together.”
They couldn’t stop with that one performance heard by family.
“We then continued to keep jamming out together and performing for small venues,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said.
In 2017, they reached a much bigger stage. They were asked to play in Champaign at Friday Night Live.
Next month (July 12) will be their third year performing at that venue.
“We usually perform about 12-14 songs in our set,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “We have to fill an hour of music and we usually collaborate on creating the set.
“It’s a lot more fun to perform when both of the performers are passionate about the music they are presenting. Being involved in Friday Night Live is a truly wonderful way to share our music with the community. I love performing, and my sister has an incredible voice, and getting to share that with people is something that is extremely rewarding.”
They are no longer novices on the stage and behind a microphone.
“We’ve performed what feels like hundreds of times together since we started,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said. “Art exhibits, retirement homes, parties, other small venues, for family, etc.”
Choosing the songs can be difficult, she said, but some possibilities are eliminated early in the process.
“It’s based off of what we can do with just a piano or guitar,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said. “Friday Night Live is a very rewarding experience and it is so much fun. A ton of friends and family that we know show up and support us along with anyone else on the street. It’s a very exciting environment.”
Both of the siblings say that music helps them find their happy place. They keep it in their lives for enjoyment, not out of a sense of obligation.
“Music is definitely an emotional outlet for me, I turn to it when I’m sad, but also when I’m happy,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said. “I don’t really view what I do as a responsibility – for example, I have to practice just so that my teacher will be happy – but I see it as just something that I love to do.
“I also find it so rewarding to perform and get feedback, that I just continue to love doing it and growing with my abilities.
“I hope to keep music a part of my life, seeing as it always has been. I can’t really picture myself not doing something musical as a hobby.”
Domenic Di Girolamo, 19, has found that the work he puts into music has carryover value in other facets of his life.
“There are so many areas where music has shaped my life,” he said. “Practice and discipline at the keys of the piano, and overcoming challenging pieces, transferred to the classroom setting as well.
“The dedication I have to piano carried over in my academic career. Having to manage piano lessons, school, marching band, and Madrigals taught me excellent lessons in time management.
“Music also gave me a community of people to be accepted into. All my high school extracurriculars involving music brought me so many wonderful friends and memories, as well as skills that I can share with a community of musicians for the rest of my life.”
Nicolina Di Girolamo doesn’t want to think about life without music.
“Music is really an incredible thing. It teaches so much,” she said. “Perseverance, how to deal with disappointment, responsibility, passion, etc. It has been a part of my life for so long. It has become a part of who I am. It teaches me how to cope with a lot of life skills.”
Music, however, will likely be a hobby for the duo as opposed to a professional career.
Domenic Di Girolamo is majoring in mathematics and economics at the UI. After graduation, he hopes to become a certified actuarial scientist and work with predictive analytics for a tech or insurance company.
He has another vision about the days ahead.
“In my future home there will at least be one piano and one guitar,” he said. “Hopefully I can share my music with my family for years to come.”
Nicolina Di Girolamo hopes to pursue an interest in hospitality in college.
“I would like to start my own business or restaurant one day,” she said. “I also hope to keep music a consistent part of my life.”
The Di Girolamos have been assigned the 6-7 p.m. time slot for their Friday Night Live performance on July 12.
Part of that evening, the duo might become a trio.
Younger brother Roman will be a freshman at M-S in the fall. His aptitude for music matches that of his siblings.
“For the longest time it’s always been just ‘Domenic and Nicolina’ performing, but it would be great to get Roman as part of the team,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “He is an incredible trombone player, which doesn’t really fit in with our style of performance, but he is a very talented musician and could certainly contribute at the keyboard.”
Nicolina Di Girolamo also wouldn’t mind sharing the spotlight with another family member.
“I love the idea of him being up there with us,” she said. “He hardly ever is, but including him would make my heart very happy.”
Domenic Di Girolamo has developed a method to combat jitters and anxiety as he takes the stage.
“Performers are no strangers to nerves, but something that I do specifically is tell myself that our performances aren’t competitions, or auditions, they are just ways to show people what we can do and to share our talent,” he said.
“The audience is usually always grateful and supportive, not judgmental. As musicians, we are a lot more critical of ourselves than other people are, and knowing that the audience is not picking apart every small mistake is something I need to keep in mind.
“Just thinking these things before a performance usually eases any nerves I have.”
Years of standing in front of crowds also help the teens to feel comfortable in those situations.
“I’ve been performing for so long I hardly get nervous at this point,” Nicolina Di Girolamo said.
“When I do, I always remind myself that I know what I’m doing.
“We spend hours practicing and perfecting each song. I just try to focus on all the hard work that we have done and believe that it will all work out.
“Because I started so young, I’ve been very comfortable on stage for years. Once I got over stage fright around fourth grade, my passion for performing grew tremendously.”
While the performances generally go off without any hitches, that doesn’t mean it is always smooth sailing. Both siblings have had challenges.
“Sight reading,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “Looking at a piece of music and being able to instantly read the notes on the page.
“I always have tried to figure songs out by just using my ears, and in turn I have an excellent ear, but not a very good ability to sight read.”
For Nicolina Di Girolamo, her biggest difficulties come from moments that are inevitable.
“Dealing with disappointment,” she said. “As a musician, you’re almost always competing against someone.
“I’m pretty involved in competitions and audition choirs and theatre, so I’m auditioning for things very often. I’ve learned over the years that getting said ‘no’ to is just a part of life.
“It has taught me how to handle that and turn it into something positive. While getting turned down is hard and no fun at all, it has made me who I am. I’ve grown so much from all the lessons that I have learned.”
She is still working to overcome one of the frustrations that repeats itself.
“I’m notorious at comparing myself to others, even my siblings,” she said. “I surround myself with so many people that are involved musically that it’s hard not to compare what I can do with what they can do.
“It’s very frustrating, knowing that I have talent, yet sometimes it can be hard to see because I’m so consumed in comparing myself.”
The siblings also perform in groups larger than themselves.
The two oldest both participate in the M-S Jazz Band, with Nicolina Di Girolamo on piano and vocals, and Domenic Di Girolamo on trumpet.
They are also active in the Praise Band at Mahomet United Methodist Church, with Kathy Tock.
Domenic and Nicolina Di Girolamo both credit their parents for supporting and nurturing their interest in music.
“I’ve been in lessons and for as long as I can remember,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “My parents have been nothing but encouraging of my passion of music.
“There were many times when it was difficult to find time to practice, due to school or other extra-curriculars. But in those times, it was always my parents who guided me back on a path to stick to the keyboard or go practice my trumpet.
“They always encouraged us to try new things in music and take hold of opportunities whenever presented. These lessons continued with me as I am now in the Varsity Men’s Chorus at UIUC (which will perform at Carnegie Hall next year). I hope to keep music as an integral part of my life.”
Nicolina Di Girolamo is thankful for her family.
“My parents have kept my passion for music alive,” she said. “They’re always finding new things for us to do and they encourage us endlessly.”
Besides playing the piano, guitar and trumpet, Domenic Di Girolamo also plays the drums and writes his own music.
“I’ve constantly challenged myself by learning other instruments on my own,” he said. “This challenge has kept me constantly engaged in music.
“In addition, I have had amazing instructors that always pushed me to be the best I could be. Music is also one of my favorite hobbies and has never felt like a chore. I couldn’t give up something that makes me happy.”
Besides the joy that music brought, it also kept him busy.
“There were many years where I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew in terms of participation in extracurriculars and academics,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “Being overwhelmed is super frustrating because you just feel like there is not enough time to do what you want to do.
“But in the end, it was all worth it. I am grateful for the musical skills I have come to have, and it was not easy to get here.”
The guitar is an example of an instrument where he was self-taught.
“Starting in the summer of ninth grade, I picked up my dad’s old guitar,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “I knew I didn’t have time to take more lessons, so this was an instrument I would have to learn on my own.
“This was a challenge I was certainly willing to accept. I have taught myself a lot, but there is still so much I have to learn about the instrument. I am content with the level I am at right now, because it allows me to write music and perform with my sister.”
He is glad that he started with the piano.
“In my opinion, learning piano is the gateway to understanding how to play all musical instruments,” Domenic Di Girolamo said. “It is foundational in musical theory and provides the necessary skills to be able to figure out many other instruments.
“My passion for music started at the piano.”
When he started playing in the grade school band as a fifth-grader, the trumpet was his choice to pursue.
“I chose the trumpet because my fifth-grade-self enjoyed the shiny and loud little instrument,” he said. “Little did I know that it would become such a big part of my high school career.”
Nicolina Di Girolamo, who will be participating in the UI’s Illinois Summer Youth Music theatre program from July 14-20, had a practical reason for selecting the clarinet as her first school instrument.
“Honestly, I’ve usually picked an instrument just because I thought it was fun or would be cool to learn,” she said. “I played the clarinet for a long time, and I remember the day I chose it.
“I was really small, so I couldn’t play any instrument that was super big because I found it very hard. Clarinet just sounded really pretty and I thought it was cool.”
For years to come, wherever they may be, Domenic and Nicolina Di Girolamo plan to continue producing the sounds of music.
